Health Affairs closed down on Monday four clinics belonging to the same private hospital in Jeddah after some of their 40-strong staff of doctors and nurses were found to be practicing without licenses. Three clinics at the hospital and a further one off-premises were investigated after eight members of staff informed the Ministry of Health that some of their colleagues were unlicensed practitioners, and inspectors subsequently uncovered medical staff working without Saudi Health Specialties Commission licenses or with out-of-date licenses. The eight also said that different doctors at the facility had been caught five years ago practicing without up-to-date licenses. Mahmoud Abdul Jawad of the Health Affairs for the Private Sector said that the hospital's dermatology and surgery clinics had been closed down, along with its polyclinic. “More details will be revealed on Saturday next week,” Abdul Jawad said. A different Health Affairs source said that the hospital could expect fines of up to SR500,000. – Okaz/SG Unauthorized women gym shut By Mohammed Al-Kinani JEDDAH – The Jeddah General Management of Health Affairs closed down a fitness club for women in one of the city's health centers for violation of rules and for employing unqualified staff who were not under the owner's sponsorship, said Director of Jeddah Health Affairs Dr. Sami Badawood. Dr. Mahmoud Abdul Jawad, head of medical licenses department, said inspection of health centers will continue and violators will be punished. Last year, some Shoura Council members had asked the General Presidency for Youth Welfare to expedite the process of establishing female-exclusive sports centers. The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs recently closed down two unlicensed female gyms in Jeddah and one in Dammam. At present, women gyms are allowed only inside hospitals as “health centers” supervised by the Ministry of Health. But these health centers are very expensive which only the affluent can afford. So budget health centers for women have sprung up under the guise of “beauty salons” or “studios.”
