TAIF — Taif Health Directorate has not hired any cleaners for its hospitals in Al-Kharmah, Turbah and Rinyah governorates since a contract for hiring cleaners expired weeks ago. A source said the Ministry of Health usually has a contract with a company to clean all health institutions in the Kingdom. “The contract between the ministry and the company it relied has expired and the ministry and the directorate have not done anything to ensure another cleaning service takes care of maintaining the hygiene in the institutes,” the source said. There is also a shortage of medical and administrative staff, according to the source, with no receptionist at Al-Kharma Hospital to receive and welcome the patients. “Patients just show up and look for their own doctors in the hospital,” the source said. “There is no organization whatsoever and the medical staff are performing poorly as a result. The authorities need to interfere and fix the situation immediately.” Taif Health Directorate spokesman, Siraj Al-Himaidan, said the directorate is employing new staff members to ensure the gap between the community and the available medical facilities is filled. “As for the cleaning service, Taif Health Directorate has contracted a new company that will start working soon,” Al-Himaidan said. “The ministry has been a far too busy preparing for Haj season, but Taif patients are still very close to Makkah and Madinah in case of any emergency situation.” He added that the cleaning service has already started in north Taif, and will soon cover the entire governorate. “We have already contracted another company while the ministry signs another contract with a cleaning company,” the official said. “The directorate opens its doors to citizens in Taif to file any complaints and suggestions and it will act accordingly,” Al-Himaidan added.
