Ministry closes hospital for flouting guidelines

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has shut down a private hospital in Riyadh for not complying with the ministry’s guidelines. 

The MoH clarified that the closure of the hospital in the north of Riyadh recently was due to irregularities detected by field inspection teams in the private sector department at the General Directorate of Health Affairs.
A MoH official said on Tuesday that the decision comes within the framework of the ministry’s efforts to maintain the good health of all patients to improve the health services provided by the private sector.
The irregularities at the hospital included the non-renewal of the hospital’s license, failure to obtain a license from the Civil Defense on safety matters and improper arrangements concerning the disposal of medical waste that violate the relevant infection control standards.
The emergency section and outpatient clinics at the hospital were closed earlier for irregularities and were not permitted to receive any new cases. Prior to the closure, the hospital was given three warnings at different times, but did not take any response or work to achieve compliance with the regulations. Accordingly, a closure notice was issued against the hospital, until its condition improves.
Warning the sector, the ministry underscored that it would not tolerate any violations affecting the health and safety of citizens and residents, and will continue applying the appropriate penalties and statutory procedures against any health institutions not committed to the requisite quality standards in their institutions.
The MoH, however, described the private health sector as a strategic partner in providing health services to the people and urged stakeholders to abide by the conventional scientific standards of quality in an endeavor to provide all beneficiaries with high quality health services.
Notably, the ministry operates a 24-hour helpline for members of the public to complain about medical errors and health violations in the Kingdom. Members of the public can lodge their complaints online or through the 937 service. Online complaints can be lodged at www.moh.gov.sa.

Source: Arab News