According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), over the first quarter of this year, MOH compliance teams have conducted 113,008 field inspection tours, including 47,128 regular tours; which resulted in 37 closure decisions issued against 11 different health institutions, 22 medical complexes, and two pharmacies. During these tours, the teams have recorded 3,099 violations against 408 different health institutions, 287 hospitals, 908 medical complexes, and 1,496 pharmacies. Also, 729 penalties have been issued against health practitioners, and 18,988 violations of non-compliance to precautionary measures have been recorded against 2,438 individuals and 16,555 health institutions.
During the tours, the teams have recorded 3,099 violations against 833 health institutions, including 460 deficiencies (associated with infection control, sterilization, and safe disposal of medical waste), 360 absence of doctors' names and their qualifications in a prominent place, 208 unlicensed practices of healthcare profession, and 117 violations of using devices and products not licensed by Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), in addition to 86 dental specialty violations.
Hence, MOH has called upon healthcare providers and health practitioners to comply with health laws and regulations, in addition to precautionary measures adopted by in the Kingdom; to maintain patient health and safety, and to avoid fines of up SR 300,000, facility closure, as well as withdrawing license of the institution and health practitioner for a period of up to two years.
It is noted that MOH aims to enhance self-monitoring in health institutions by enabling them to assess their level of commitment to health standards through electronic self-assessment program. The institution is given a correction deadline, and will not be penalized if it voluntarily discloses a failure to meet a certain health standard, but with immediate suspension of its practice or activity that poses a risk to patient safety. On the other hand, the institution will lose its correction period opportunity and will be penalized if it does not disclose such violations that are monitored by compliance teams during audit process on the evaluation form carried out by the institution. Within the same vein, MOH urges everyone to report any health violations via 93-Service Center.