His Excellency the Minister of Health and Chairman of the Health Services Council, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, has approved a 10% scarcity allowance for Saudi resident physicians working in small towns. Dr. Al-Rabeeah's approval comes in line with His Excellency the Minister of Civil Service's approval of the memorandum submitted by the committee comprised of the relevant governmental authorities. Small towns have been defined as the towns with less population than 500.000, as well as the towns and cities which have a main hospital with less bed capacity than 500 beds.
For his part, the Director-General of the MOH Financial and Administrative Affairs, Mr. Sa'd Al-Hejaili, has issued a circulation to all health affairs directorates and medical cities to put the decree into effect.
It is worth mentioning that all the rules of allowances mentioned in the Council of Ministers Resolution No. 178, dated 25/5/2009, namely the allowances of scarcity, training and supervision, have been applied to all Saudi health practitioners working for governmental hospitals (general, specialized and referential hospitals). The scarcity allowance has been granted in cases of rare specialties for the Saudi incumbents of the jobs covered by the allowance. This allowance does not exceed 30% of the employees basic salary; meanwhile taking into account the Council of Civil Service's Resolution No. 2/1616, dated 24/5/2011, stipulating adding the full-time allowance to the basic salary when calculating the scarcity allowance of physicians, pharmacists and the employees covered by the allowance (physicians, pharmacists and specialists).
In order for the scarcity allowance to be granted, according to mechanism developed for this purpose, the job descriptions of all covered by the MOH's accredited payroll has to be included in the Health Positions List. The job description has also to be included in the Directory of Categorization and Registration of Health Practitioners, issued by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS), for all those covered by the payroll of Saudi health practitioners working for governmental hospitals (general, specialized and referential hospitals). It is necessary for the employee, also, to be specialized in one of the specialties covered by the allowance, and to be practicing this specialty in reality.
In case the employee occupants a post or degree incompatible with his specialty, which is covered by the allowance, then his specialty and degree will count, on condition that he practices this specialty in reality. In this case, the employee will be granted the allowance, in accordance with the specialty and degree, with its percentage calculated in accordance with the employee's current basic salary. The specialty has to be accredited by SCHS, and the employee has to be possessing a valid professional registration card. No employee is allowed to obtain the allowance of more than one specialty, and the relevant minister issues a decree enumerating the beneficiaries of this allowance.
As for the training allowance, which does not exceed SR 3.000 monthly for consultants participating in training programs, it is enacted under certain rules, including possessing accredited fellowship certificates and the educational and training programs in the health domain.
Regarding the supervision allowance, which is a monthly lump sum given to the medical director and the directors of medical and health departments, it has been determined as SR 3.000 at general hospitals and central laboratories, and SR 5.000 at specialized and referential hospitals.