The regional Directorate of Health Affairs has imposed fines of SR145,000 on a number of private health centers and health practitioners in Al-Ahsa for failing to meet the required standards. Two eye care centers have also been closed for violations. Husein Al-Ruwaili, Health Affairs Director, said violations included the failure to renew licenses, out-of-date medicines in pharmacies, unregistered medicines, failure to abide by official uniform policy, advertising prior to obtaining official approval, a shortage of medical staff and the issuing of illegal medical reports. Al-Ruwaili said two centers had been denied licenses for a period of at least six months and not exceeding two years. “The directorate will show no leniency in imposing the stiffest penalties for violations of private health sector regulations,” he said. In Najran, the Medical Licenses Administration at Health Affairs has fined one female and two male private polyclinic doctors a total of SR10,000. Saleh Aal Dheebah, spokesperson of Najran Directorate of Health Affairs, said the male doctors were fined SR4,000 and SR3,000, while a female Arab doctor was fined SR3,000. Dheebah added that her professional conduct would be monitored and that she would be brought up for any violation of medical ethics. A pharmacist has also been fined SR5000. Aal Dheebah said that all fines would be paid to the State Treasury and violations referred to the committee tasked with investigating violations in the private sector.
