Article 14 of the Saudi Private Health Institutions Law
المادة 14 من نظام المؤسسات الصحية الخاصة
Licensing a general or specialized medical complex requires at least a consultant in each licensed main specialty and a nurse for each clinic; in remote areas set by the Ministry the consultants may be reduced to one or specialists may suffice.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يشترط للترخيص لأي من المجمع الطبي العام والمجمع الطبي المتخصص أن يتوافر فيه- على الأقل- استشاري في كل من التخصصات الرئيسة المرخص بها، وأن يخصص ممرض أو ممرضة على الأقل لكل عيادة، واستثناء من ذلك يجوز في المناطق النائية التي تحددها الوزارة تخفيض عدد الاستشاريين إلى واحد أو الاكتفاء بالأخصائيين.
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 14 explained in plain English
This article sets licensing conditions concerning staff in medical complexes.
Whom does the rule cover? The general medical complex and the specialized medical complex. Under Article 1, a general complex has at least three different specialties, one of them a basic one, and a specialized complex is a complex of clinics in one or more medical specialties and their subspecialties.
The two conditions (at least):
- A consultant in each licensed main specialty.
- A male or female nurse for each clinic.
These are conditions "for licensing", that is, the complex is not licensed without meeting them.
The exception: in remote areas that the Ministry determines, it is permitted to:
- Reduce the number of consultants to one, or
- Make do with specialists.
Note that the exception relates to consultants only, and the text mentions no relaxation of the requirement of a nurse for each clinic. Also, identifying remote areas is for the Ministry, which is the Ministry of Health, so it is not enough for the complex's owner to consider his area remote.
It is preceded by Article 13, which requires clinics and complexes to have the emergency medicines and means specified by the Regulations and bans selling them, and followed by Article 15, which requires that laboratory, radiology, day-surgery and supporting services be provided by licensed specialists.
Anyone planning to open a complex would do well to arrange contracts with consultants and nurses before applying for the license.
Practical example
An investor wants to open a general medical complex in Riyadh with three specialties, internal medicine, pediatrics and dermatology, and six clinics. To be licensed it must have at least one consultant in each licensed main specialty and at least one male or female nurse for each of the six clinics.
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 14 of the Saudi Private Health Institutions Law
Is a consultant required in a medical complex?
Yes, licensing requires at least a consultant in each of the licensed main specialties.
Must there be a nurse in every clinic in the complex?
Yes, at least one male or female nurse must be assigned to each clinic.
Is there an exception for complexes in remote areas?
In remote areas the Ministry determines, the number of consultants may be reduced to one or specialists may suffice.
More articles on Medical Staff in Private Institutions
- Article 8
A private health institution may not employ doctors, other health practitioners or pharmacists until they hold a license from the Ministry to practice the profession.
لا يجوز للمؤسسة الصحية الخاصة تشغيل الأطباء أو غيرهم من الممارسين الصحيين والصيادلة إلا بعد حصولهم على ترخيص من الوزارة بمزاولة المهنة.
- Article 10
A hospital must provide the necessary number of resident doctors, specialists, consultants, pharmacists, technicians, nurses and supporting health staff according to its capacity and classification grade, under the Regulations' standards.
يلتزم المستشفى بتوفير العدد اللازم من الأطباء المقيمين، والاخصائيين، والاستشاريين، والصيادلة، والفنيين، والممرضين، والعمالة الصحية المساندة، وغيرها من الخدمات ا
- Article 15
Laboratory, radiology center, day-surgery center and supporting health services, of any type, must be provided by licensed specialists in the profession, and the Regulations set the conditions, qualifications and work procedures.
يقدم خدمات المختبر مركز الأشعة ومركز جراحة اليوم الواحد والخدمات الصحية المساندة أيًّا كان نوعها؛ متخصصون في المهنة مرخص لهم بذلك، وتحدد اللائحة التنفيذية شروط
- Article 26
A private health institution must explain the provisions of the Labor Law, the procedures manual, the job description and related laws in force in the Kingdom to anyone it wants to contract with, before contracting.
يجب على كل مؤسسة صحية خاصة أن توضح أحكام نظام العمل والعمال لمن تريد التعاقد معه، وكذلك دليل الإجراءات والوصف الوظيفي والأنظمة ذات العلاقة المعمول بها في المملك
- Article 27
A private health institution must enable health practitioners to attend continuing medical education programs in their specialty, inside or outside the Kingdom, as the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties determines.
تلتزم المؤسسة الصحية الخاصة بتمكين الممارسين الصحيين من حضور برامج التعليم الطبي المستمر في مجال تخصصهم، سواء داخل المملكة أو خارجها، وفقًا لما تحدده الهيئة الس
- Article 28
All hospitals must have a medical library and subscribe to suitable scientific periodicals in their specialty; other health institutions must provide the basic scientific periodicals related to their specialty.
تلتزم جميع المستشفيات بإيجاد مكتبة طبية داخلها، كما تلتزم بالاشتراك في الدوريات العلمية المناسبة في مجال تخصصها. أما المؤسسات الصحية الأخرى فعليها توفير الدوريا
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.