Article 6 of the Saudi Healthcare Professions Practice Law
المادة 6 من نظام مزاولة المهن الصحية
The article requires the healthcare practitioner to assist the competent authorities in protecting public health and warding off the dangers that threaten it in peace and in war.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يلتزم الممارس الصحي بمعاونة السلطات المختصة في أداء واجبها نحو حماية الصحة العامة، ودرء الأخطار التي تهددها في السلم والحرب.
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 6 explained in plain English
The healthcare practitioner's role is not limited to treating the patient in front of them. This article places on them a duty toward society as a whole: to assist the competent authorities in performing their duty to:
- Protect public health.
- Ward off the dangers that threaten it.
This duty applies in both peace and war, so it is not limited to exceptional circumstances.
The text is general. It does not specify the forms of assistance or which bodies are meant by the competent authorities, and it mentions no particular procedures. The article is read in light of Article 5, which requires the practitioner to practice for the benefit of the individual and society, and Article 7, which requires them to develop their knowledge, follow scientific developments in their specialty, and not use diagnosis and treatment methods that are not recognized or are prohibited in the Kingdom.
The idea is that the healthcare practitioner has knowledge and skill that the State needs in the face of health dangers, so the Law made assisting the authorities an obligation on the practitioner rather than mere voluntary work. Anyone who needs to know the limits of this obligation in a particular situation may consult a lawyer specialized in healthcare practice and medical malpractice cases.
Practical example
When an infectious disease spreads in one of the governorates, the competent health authorities ask the physicians and nurses in the area for help with screening and awareness campaigns. Under this article, the healthcare practitioner is bound to assist the authorities in this effort to protect public health.
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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Frequently asked questions about Article 6 of the Saudi Healthcare Professions Practice Law
Must a physician help the health authorities during epidemics?
The article requires the healthcare practitioner to assist the competent authorities in protecting public health and warding off the dangers that threaten it, without listing the forms this assistance takes.
Does this obligation apply in wartime?
Yes. The text provides that the obligation applies in peace and in war.
More articles on Duties of the Healthcare Practitioner
- Article 5
The article requires the healthcare practitioner to practice for the benefit of the individual and society, respecting human life, safety and dignity, observing prevailing customs, and avoiding exploitation.
يزاول الممارس الصحي مهنته لمصلحة الفرد والمجتمع في نطاق احترام حق الإنسان في الحياة وسلامته وكرامته، مراعيًا في عمله العادات والتقاليد السائدة في المملكة مبتعدً
- Article 7
The article requires the healthcare practitioner to develop their knowledge and follow developments in their specialty, requires facilities to facilitate their attendance at courses, and prohibits unrecognized or prohibited diagnosis and treatment methods.
أ - يجب على الممارس الصحي أن يعمل على تنمية معلوماته، وأن يتابع التطورات العلمية والاكتشافات الحديثة في مجال تخصصه، وعلى إدارات المنشآت الصحية تسهيل حضوره للندو
- Article 8
The article requires a healthcare practitioner who witnesses or knows that a patient or injured person is in a critical condition to give possible assistance or make sure the person receives the necessary care.
يجب على الممارس الصحي الذي يشهد أو يعلم أن مريضًا أو جريحًا في حالة خطرة أن يقدم له المساعدة الممكنة، أو أن يتأكد من أنه يتلقى العناية الضرورية.
- Article 9
The article requires medical work to aim always at the patient's interest, and prevents the healthcare practitioner from doing work beyond their specialty or means except in a case of necessity.
أ - يجب أن يستهدف العمل الطبي دائمًا مصلحة المريض، وعلى الممارس الصحي أن يبذل جهده لكل مريض. ب - لا يجوز للممارس الصحي- في غيرحالة الضرورة- القيام بعمل يجاوز اخ
- Article 11
The article requires the healthcare practitioner, immediately on examining a patient suspected of being injured by a crime or of having an infectious disease, to notify the competent security and health authorities; the Minister sets the diseases, the authority and the procedures.
يجب على الممارس الصحي فور معاينته لمريض مشتبه في إصابته جنائيًّا، أو إصابته بمرض معد؛ أن يبلغ الجهات الأمنية والصحية المختصة، ويصدر الوزير قرارًا بتحديد الأمراض
- Article 15
The article requires the healthcare practitioner to carry out diagnosis with the necessary care using suitable technical means and those the case calls for, and to give the patient what they request about their condition and test results, accurately and objectively.
يجب على الممارس الصحي أن يجري التشخيص بالعناية اللازمة مستعينًا بالوسائل الفنية الملائمة، وبمن تستدعي ظروف الحالة الاستعانة بهم من الأخصائيين أو المساعدين، وأن
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.