In line with the Ministry of Health's ongoing efforts toward improving the quality of health services, applying quality standards and enhancing the performance of health practitioners, in addition to its keenness to maintain the health and safety of patients through conducting follow-up inspections in private health facilities, the Ministry has closed the department of surgery at one of the private hospitals in Sabia, Jazan Province. In addition, MOH has forced the the hospital to pay a 270,000 SR fine. These enforcement actions were taken for violations of Private Health Facilities Regulation, as a surgery was performed to a female patient on the wrong part of the body. The wrong-site surgery was unfortunately performed due to the non-compliance of the hospital and its staff with the international surgical policies and procedures; as there were two patients with similar names.
The decision clarified that the MOH decided to refer the case to the competent authority in the Judicial Medical Authority to issue the appropriate judgment according to the Private Healthcare Facilities System and the Health Professions System. The Ministry asserted that it will not tolerate blunders by any healthcare facility. In conclusion, the Ministry made clear that it looks upon private sector hospitals as strategic partners in providing necessary health, hoping that such facilities would meet quality scientific criteria. This will enable healthcare facilities to provide high quality and safe medical services, in line with the Ministry’s keenness to provide qualitative health services, aiming to reflect the Ministry’s slogan (Patient First).