Article 8 of the Saudi Health Law
المادة 8 من النظام الصحي
The article requires the general directorate of health affairs to carry out the Ministry's plans in the region, with responsibilities including running the Ministry's facilities, licensing private facilities and monitoring their quality, statistics, training and awareness.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تقوم المُديرية العامة للشؤون الصحية بتنفيذ الخطط والبرامِج التي تضعُها الوزارة في المنطقة، وتُناط بِها على وجه الخصوص المسؤوليات الآتية :
1 - ضمان توفُّر برامِج الرعاية الصحية لتغطية احتياجات المنطقة.
2 - القيام بمسئولية إدارة وتشغيل المرافِق الصحية التابِعة للوزارة.
3 - الترخيص للمرافِق الصحية الخاصة والعاملين بِها طِبقًا للمُتطلبات والاشتِراطات التي تضعُها الوزارة، ومُراقبة الجودة النوعية في هذه المرافِق.
4 - إعداد الإحصاءات الصحية والحيوية وإجراء الدراسات والأبحاث على مُستوى المنطقة.
5 - وضع برامِج التعليم الطبي وتنفيذها المُتواصِل، وتدريب العاملين في المرافِق الصحية في المنطقة، بالتنسيق مع الوزارة والقطاعات الصحية الأُخرى.
6 - التنسيق والتعاون مع المؤسسات الصحية الحُكومية والخاصة ومع المُديريات الصحية الأُخرى.
7 - تنفيذ الخطط والبرامِج لنشر التوعية الصحية الشامِلة على مُستوى المنطقة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 8 explained in plain English
This article defines the role of the general directorate of health affairs as the body that carries out the Ministry's plans in the region.
Its responsibilities in particular:
- Ensuring the availability of health care programs to cover the region's needs.
- Managing and operating the health facilities belonging to the Ministry.
- Licensing private health facilities and those who work in them according to the requirements and conditions the Ministry sets, and monitoring the qualitative quality in them.
- Preparing health and vital statistics and conducting studies and research at the region level.
- Setting and carrying out continuing medical education programs, and training workers in health facilities, in coordination with the Ministry and other health sectors.
- Coordinating and cooperating with government and private health institutions and with the other health directorates.
- Carrying out plans for spreading comprehensive health awareness at the region level.
Note the division between the two levels in licensing: the Ministry sets the requirements and conditions, and the directorate grants the license in the region in accordance with them and monitors quality.
In practical terms, someone who wants to open a private health facility or work in one deals, for the license, with the general directorate of health affairs in his region, according to the conditions the Ministry sets. The article does not state the licensing procedures or documents.
Article 7 gives the directorates the administrative and financial powers to perform these tasks, and Article 9 deals with the role of health centers.
Anyone who needs an opinion on a particular situation would do well to consult a lawyer specialized in health laws or administrative cases.
Practical example
A doctor wants to open a private clinic in Abha. He submits a license application to the general directorate of health affairs in the Asir region, which grants it according to the requirements and conditions the Ministry has set, and then monitors the quality of the service in the clinic after it opens.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
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Frequently asked questions about Article 8 of the Saudi Health Law
Who licenses private dispensaries and clinics?
The general directorate of health affairs in the region, according to the requirements and conditions the Ministry sets, and it monitors their qualitative quality.
What is the directorate's role in government hospitals?
It is responsible for managing and operating the health facilities belonging to the Ministry in the region.
Does the directorate have a role in training health workers?
Yes. It sets and carries out continuing medical education programs and trains workers, in coordination with the Ministry and other health sectors.
More articles on Health Directorates and Health Centers
- Article 6
The article requires the State, through the Ministry, to provide an integrated network of health care services covering all regions at the three levels, with the Ministry and regional councils determining needs and locations by geography, population and disease patterns.
تعمل الدولة من خِلال الوزارة على توفير شبكة مُتكامِلة من خدمات الرعاية الصحية تُغطي جميع مناطِق المملكة، وتشمل مُستويات الرعاية الصحية الأولية والثانوية والتخصّ
- Article 7
The article gives each general directorate of health affairs the administrative and financial powers it needs to perform its tasks effectively, and requires the Ministry to take each region's needs into account in its budget and allocate each hospital the funds it needs.
تُعطى كل مُديرية عامة للشؤون الصحية الصلاحيات الإدارية والمالية التي تُمكِنُها مِن تأدية المهام المنوطة بِها بطريقة فعَّالة، وتُراعي الوزارة ضِمن ميزانيتِها الا
- Article 9
The article provides that health centers belonging to the Ministry, other government bodies and the private sector provide preventive, emergency, curative and rehabilitative services and direct cases to hospitals, with details left to the Implementing Regulations.
1- تقوم المراكز الصحية التابعة للوزارة والجهات الحكومية الأخرى والقطاع الخاص بتقديم الخدمات الوقائية والإسعافية والعلاجية والتأهيلية وتوجيه الحالات عند الحاجة إ
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.