The private hospital closed down in Jeddah on Monday for poor safety standards and SR2 million in outstanding salary payments.

The Jeddah health department closed down a hospital for two months on Monday for various violations including failing to pay the facility’s 200 workers SR2 million in unpaid salaries.

Mubarak Hassan bin Dhafer, director of the department, said: “The directorate closed down a private hospital in Bani Malik district because of various violations and poor health care services recorded by a team of inspectors.”

He said the conditions at the hospital were endangering the lives of patients and visitors because of irregularities in the intensive care and emergency departments. “This closure is in line with the Kingdom’s health and safety regulations,” he said.

More than 20 doctors working at the hospital had filed a complaint with the Labor Ministry in Jeddah last week demanding that the owner of the hospital pay their salaries.

Some 115 employees had also filed various complaints against their employers with the health department and labor ministry citing other violations besides the non-payment of salaries.

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