Article 15 of the Saudi Private Health Institutions Law
المادة 15 من نظام المؤسسات الصحية الخاصة
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 تقديم هذه الخدمات ومؤهلات المتخصصين العاملين فيها وإجراءات العمل.
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 15 explained in plain English
This article determines who may provide services in a number of private health institutions.
The services covered:
- Laboratory services.
- Radiology center services.
- Day-surgery center services.
- Supporting health services of any type, among them, under Article 1, physical therapy centers, medical eyewear shops, shops for prosthetic devices and limbs, and centers approved by the Minister of Health.
The condition: they must be provided by specialists in the profession who are licensed to do so. Specialization without a license is not enough, nor is a license outside one's specialization.
What the article refers to the Implementing Regulations:
- The conditions for providing these services.
- The qualifications of the specialists working in them.
- Work procedures.
The phrase "of any type" means the rule covers all supporting services without exception, even what may seem commercial, such as eyewear shops.
This article connects to Article 14, which requires, for licensing medical complexes, a consultant in each licensed main specialty and a nurse for each clinic; while that article regulates the staff of complexes, this one regulates who provides the services of laboratories, radiology centers, day-surgery centers and supporting services. It is followed by Article 16, which requires the private health institution to provide emergency treatment to dangerous emergency cases without prior financial demand.
The owner of an institution must verify the qualifications and licenses of those working in it before employing them.
Practical example
Sami opened a medical eyewear shop in Al-Ahsa. Because medical eyewear shops are among the supporting health services, the eye examination and lens fitting service there must be provided by a specialist in the profession who is licensed to do so, according to the qualifications in the Implementing Regulations.
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 15 of the Saudi Private Health Institutions Law
Who may work in a private medical laboratory?
Specialists in the profession who are licensed to do so, whose qualifications the Implementing Regulations specify.
Is a license required for those working in eyewear shops?
Yes, medical eyewear shops are among the supporting health services, which must be provided by licensed specialists.
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 14
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.
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
- 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.