Saudi Arabia shuts five healthcare facilities over serious violations

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has shut down five healthcare facilities and detected 130 violations during inspection campaigns carried out last month across the kingdom .

The ministry said the closures affected facilities in the Riyadh, Madinah and Asir regions following field inspections of more than 1,500 healthcare establishments.

Authorities said the violations included practising medicine without licences, exceeding approved clinical privileges and conducting hair transplant procedures without proper authorisation or without supervision by qualified physicians.

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Other breaches involved deficiencies in infection control procedures and shortages of essential medicines and medical equipment, the ministry added.

The ministry said the inspections formed part of ongoing efforts to improve patient safety and healthcare quality in line with the Healthcare Transformation Programme under Saudi Vision 2030. Compliance rates across inspected facilities exceeded 91 per cent, reflecting what authorities described as strong adherence to healthcare regulations.

The ministry said monitoring campaigns would continue throughout the year, particularly in areas linked closely to patient safety, including cosmetic laser treatments and hair transplant procedures.

Authorities said legal procedures against the violating facilities were under way, with penalties including fines of up to SR100,000, facility closures and prison sentences of up to six months for unlicensed practitioners.

The ministry urged residents to verify the licensing status of health facilities and medical practitioners before receiving treatment and encouraged the public to report violations through the unified hotline 937.