Article 1 of the Saudi Private Health Institutions Law

This article defines the scope of the Law of Private Health Institutions through its definitions.

Private health institution: any health institution owned by the private sector that is equipped for treatment, diagnosis, nursing, medical tests, rehabilitation, or the stay of convalescent patients. It includes:

1. Hospital: a place equipped to receive patients, examine them, treat them and admit them as inpatients.
2. General medical complex: a place to receive and treat patients that has at least three different medical specialties, one of them a basic one (surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, family medicine).
3. Specialized medical complex: a complex of clinics in one or more medical specialties and their subspecialties.
4. Clinic: a place to receive patients, examine them and treat them.
5. Radiology center: for diagnostic imaging or radiation treatment.
6. Medical laboratory: for carrying out laboratory tests.
7. Day-surgery center: licensed to admit patients for a medical procedure such as some minor and medium operations, on the basis that the patient leaves the same day, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations.
8. Supporting health service centers: physical therapy centers, medical eyewear shops, shops for prosthetic devices and limbs, and centers the Minister of Health approves by decision.
9. Ambulance transport service center: a unit for ambulance transport and providing emergency services before arrival at the hospital, according to the specifications and controls of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority.

The article defines the Ministry as the Ministry of Health and the Minister as the Minister of Health.

The essential difference between a hospital and the others is admission as inpatients, and between a general complex and a clinic it is the number of specialties. Determining the type of institution matters because ownership, supervision and licensing requirements differ by type.