JEDDAH — Saudi citizens have criticized the new timings of health centers and demanded that they operate in two shifts. In the past, health centers opened at 7 a.m., but now operate from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Citizens said the new timings are not suitable for patients, especially women, children and the elderly who can only go early in the morning or at night. They said the Ministry of Health's decision did not take into consideration the needs of patients. Dr. Khaled Mirghalani, spokesman of the ministry, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the decision was based on a survey of 25,000 people including patients and was not conducted randomly. During visits to a number of health centers it was found that many people lined up before 9 a.m. because they did not know about the new working hours. Muhammad Al-Alawi, a citizen, said the new hours were not suitable for him and others. He said: “The new timing will put me in a difficult situation with my employer as I used to visit the center before my working hours started at 9 a.m. “With the new timings it will be very difficult to ask my employer to be excused from work because I visit the health center regularly.” Al-Alawi believed the Health Ministry only polled health center employees. Hassan Al-Mahdar, another Saudi citizen, expressed anger over the new timings, saying that he used to visit the center in the early hours to check his sugar and blood pressure before he had his breakfast. “The new timings of the health centers coincide with the rush hours. They should bring back the old timings because it is difficult for me already to get transportation arranged. The ministry should have asked me and sick people like me about the new timings, not employees.” Umm Talal, a Saudi mother, said in the past she used to visit the health centers right after she dropped her children to school. The new timings have left her constantly having to ask for time off from work because she had to wait for long hours at the center before she could be served. She said: “The new unified timings do not help me as a patient. “They need to bring back the two shift timings.” Khalaf Al-Mutairi, manager of a health center in the Al-Aziziya District, said: “Despite the announcement of the new timings, many people show up early and express anger over the new hours.
