Article 9 of the Saudi Healthcare Professions Practice Law
المادة 9 من نظام مزاولة المهن الصحية
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 اختصاصه أو إمكانياته.
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 9 explained in plain English
This article contains two rules that govern everything a healthcare practitioner does:
Paragraph (a): the patient's interest first. Medical work must always aim at the patient's interest, and the healthcare practitioner must do their best for every patient. The purpose of a procedure must not be profit, experimentation or any other interest, and the practitioner may not differentiate in their effort between one patient and another.
Paragraph (b): limits of specialty. The healthcare practitioner may not do work that:
- exceeds their specialty, such as undertaking a procedure belonging to another specialty.
- or exceeds their means, such as performing work their expertise or the available tools do not allow.
A case of necessity is excepted. If necessity requires intervention, the practitioner may do what is prohibited in ordinary circumstances. The text does not define necessity or list its forms.
This article is connected to Article 8, which requires the practitioner to give possible assistance to anyone in a critical condition or make sure they receive the necessary care, and to Article 10, which prohibits the practitioner from advertising themselves except in the cases set by the Regulations, and from listing titles or specialties they have not obtained. Anyone harmed by a procedure a practitioner performed outside their specialty may consult a lawyer specialized in healthcare practice and medical malpractice cases.
Practical example
A general practitioner in a clinic in Qassim is visited by a patient who needs a delicate surgical operation. He may not perform it because it exceeds his specialty and means, and the starting point is that he refers the patient to the specialist. If, however, an injured person arrives in a case of necessity that cannot wait, the text excepts a case of necessity from this prohibition.
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 9 of the Saudi Healthcare Professions Practice Law
May a physician work outside their specialty?
A healthcare practitioner may not do work that exceeds their specialty or means, except in a case of necessity.
What must medical work aim at?
It must always aim at the patient's interest, and the practitioner must do their best for every patient.
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 6
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.
يلتزم الممارس الصحي بمعاونة السلطات المختصة في أداء واجبها نحو حماية الصحة العامة، ودرء الأخطار التي تهددها في السلم والحرب.
- 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 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.