The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that it has stopped an unlicensed cauterizer in Qassim and referred him to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution to take regulatory penalties against him, which include a SR 100,000 fine and imprisonment of no less than 6 months.
Based on complaints from many citizens and monitoring of the social media, the violator was stopped and questioned before being referred to the Bureau for completion of the statutory procedures, it said, pointing out that Al-Asiah Province of Qassim Region already had him signed a pledge not to practice the cauterization any more, but nevertheless he continued with his illegal practice.
Recently, the MOH has announced that it has agreed with the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution to carry out the investigation and prosecution powers of offenses that are punishable for varied prison terms in accordance with the Health Profession Practice Law.
This comes in implementation of the Royal Decree provided for transferring specialties of the departments and committees pertaining to investigation and prosecution in criminal offenses to the Bureau.
It added that the measures came to curb irregular practices which endangered patient safety when unlicensed practitioners (doctors, specialists, nurses) perform surgeries or other medical procedures without adherence to the governing measures, which include not having examinations and sufficient training that qualify the practitioner to get the license. In addition to practicing a specialty not classified by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialty (SCHS).
Furthermore, the MOH confirmed to all health practitioners in the private and public sectors, the importance of applying the standards of patient safety, commitment to regulatory licenses, qualification from the SCHS, adherence to patients' health and achieving their safety, making it the focus of their interest, with a commitment to the professional ethics and the Health Profession Practice Law.
It called upon everyone not to be misled by such medical claims that have no scientific base, and which only trying to exploit patients need for treatment, reaffirming the importance of getting information from reliable scientific sources. It stressed that the traditional medicine requires a license from the concerned authority in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the profession.