JEDDAH: The undue delay by the Saudi Authority for Medical Specializations (SAMS) in issuing medical licenses is detrimental to the private health sector, the Health Services Committee of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) said after a meeting on Thursday.
"The health establishments in Jeddah suffer huge financial losses as a result of the delay in the issuance of the required licenses by the SAMS," the committee said.
It said the three-month temporary licenses currently issued by SAMS are insufficient for the establishments to complete procedures to obtain permanent licenses.
Because of this delay, many medical cadres were not willing to join the private health facilities and instead prefer the government facilities, the committee said.
The committee also criticized the centralization of the issuance of medical permits in Riyadh alone and called for setting up branches for the SAMS in Jeddah and other major cities. "The SAMS will only accept three requests at a time from the private establishments. This is another delaying factor," it added.
The committee decided to send a letter to the secretary-general of the SAMS Abdul Aziz Al-Saiegh highlighting the difficulties suffered by the private hospitals and clinics.
It urged the SAMS to grant temporary licenses for six months to medical personnel who come to the Kingdom for the first time until procedures for their final permits were finalized.
It also suggested that the charges for licenses be reduced to the minimum.
The committee also asked the SAMS to accept more requests from private establishments, increase qualified personnel and use the Internet to grant permits.
© Arab News 2011
