Article 24 of the Saudi Private Health Institutions Law

This article protects patients from the side effects of closing a private health institution.

The rule: if closing the private health institution would harm the patients who benefit from its services, the Ministry takes whatever is necessary so that they continue to receive the treatment they need.

Elements of the rule:

• The party bound: the Ministry, which under Article 1 is the Ministry of Health.
• Condition for intervention: the closure would harm the patients who benefit from the institution's services.
• The aim: that patients continue to receive the treatment they need.
• The means: "in the way it considers appropriate", so the text sets no particular method.

The article does not limit closure to a particular reason; the text speaks of "closing the private health institution" in general. Its purpose is that patients should not pay the price of the institution's violations or stoppage.

It is preceded by Article 23, which allows the committees provided for in Article 25 to suspend the activity in question as a precaution when there is strong evidence of violations punishable by license withdrawal or closure. It is followed by Article 25, which regulates these committees and makes their decisions enforceable after approval by the Minister or his delegate, with a grievance possible before the Board of Grievances within 60 days of notification.

For a patient receiving ongoing treatment at an institution that has been ordered closed, the body responsible for ensuring his treatment continues is the Ministry under this article.