Law for Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals Affiliated with the Ministry of Health

The Law for Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals Affiliated with the Ministry of Health is a law promulgated by a resolution issued by the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on March 24, 2014. It consists of twelve articles.

The Law for Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals Affiliated with the Ministry of Health sets forth the objectives of medical cities and specialized hospitals, the method of forming the Health Services Council, its mandate and meetings, the method of forming the council's executive committee, and the composition of the General Secretariat of the Board of Directors of Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals affiliated with the Ministry of Health. It also stipulates the autonomy of these cities and hospitals.

According to the Law for Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals Affiliated with the Ministry of Health, the objectives of medical cities and hospitals include providing the best medical and healthcare services meeting the highest industry standards, upon devising advanced rules and standards for practicing medicine within these medical cities and hospitals. The latter should also seek to offer the highest levels of specialized medical care, develop comprehensive programs for training resident and fellow Saudi physicians and preparing them to provide medical care, secure specialized national competencies and qualify them to work therein, attract, recruit, and support outstanding national and international competencies in highly specialized medical fields to join these medical cities and hospitals. In addition, the latter should aim to conduct scientific and practical research related to the field of health. They should collaborate with medical bodies specialized in scientific research in the Kingdom and abroad to develop and improve treatment methods, ultimately enhancing medical and healthcare in the Kingdom in general and medical specialties in particular, contribute to the publication of medical and scientific journals, bulletins and periodicals, and cooperate with health bodies and educational institutions in the Kingdom to raise awareness and instill a health-based culture among community members.

According to the Law for Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals Affiliated with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Health has the authority to form the said board of directors, to be chaired by the Minister of Health. The board of directors should encompass the membership of the Deputy Minister of Health for Health Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Health for Planning and Development, the Deputy Minister of Finance for Regulations and Budgeting Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Labor for Labor Affairs (Currently known as the Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Development for Labor Affairs), the Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Development for Civil Service, the Executive Director General of King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah al-Mukarramah, the Executive Director General of King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Dammam, the Executive Director General of Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Medical City in the Northern Province, the Executive Director General of King Faisal Medical City for the Southern Regions, the Executive Director General of King Khalid Medical City in the Eastern Province, and the Executive Director General of any prospective medical city or specialized hospital affiliated with the Ministry of Health. The board of directors would also comprise a secretary to assume the roles of both a member and rapporteur.

According to the Law for Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals Affiliated with the Ministry of Health, the Board of Directors of Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals affiliated with the Ministry of Health is the competent authority overseeing all matters related to medical cities and hospitals. It also assists them in completing their procedures and takes all necessary decisions enabling them to achieve their sought objectives. The mandate of the board includes the approval of administrative and technical regulations and administrative structures of medical cities and specialized hospitals, the approval of their financial regulations in agreement with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the elaboration of general medical or administrative policies of medical cities and specialized hospitals, and the monitoring of work processes. The board is also responsible for approving regulations aimed at regulating the services offered by medical cities and specialized hospitals, where these regulations relate to qualification for treatment, the mechanism for admitting patients into clinics and anesthesia departments, fees of therapeutic services, and rules for the exemption thereof whenever such fees apply. The board also approves the annual draft budgets of medical cities and specialized hospitals, refers such budgets to the competent authorities for approval, and oversees or reviews the administrative and financial measures and processes applied within each medical city or specialized hospital. The board is also tasked with setting standards and criteria for the establishment of medical cities and specialized hospitals, approving medical research programs and plans, and recruitment and employment plans related to administrative, technical, and medical vacancies to be filled as approved under the budgets of these medical cities and hospitals, recommending the establishment of medical cities and specialized hospitals or the conversion of any existing hospital into a medical city or specialized hospital, submitting these recommendations before the Council of Ministers for further measures, and making regulatory arrangements that would ensure efficient coordination between medical cities, specialized hospitals, and health affairs directorates. The board may delegate some of its competencies to its chairman or the executive committee.

The Law for Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals Affiliated with the Ministry of Health has stipulated the autonomy of medical cities and specialized hospitals as long as such autonomy does not conflict with the competencies of the board of directors and the Minister of Health. In this respect, each medical city and hospital would have an annual operating budget allocated under the Ministry of Health's budget. The resources of each medical city and specialized hospital consist of allocations made under the state's general budget, resources dedicated to the treatment of unqualified patients, grants, donations, wills, and endowments accepted by these entities, revenues generated by the properties held by each medical city or specialized hospital, if any, in addition to any other resources to be added pursuant to the decision of the Council of Minister taken in this respect.

The Law for Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals Affiliated with the Ministry of Health has determined the competencies of the Executive Director General of Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals. The latter is appointed by a resolution issued by the Minister of Health, whereby he would become responsible for the management of the medical city or specialized hospital and take care of its affairs. In this respect, its competencies include representing the medical city or specialized hospital in its relationship with individuals, bodies, and before the judiciary, overseeing the staff of the medical city or specialized hospital, proposing regulations and executive resolutions related to the work processes of the medical city or specialized hospital and presenting such proposals before the board of directors, executing the resolutions rendered by the board of directors, assuming its assigned tasks accordingly, overseeing the administrative and financial affairs, engaging in spending activities within the remits of the allocated budget, overseeing the elaboration of the draft budget of the medical city or specialized hospital, and submitting such budget before the board. The Executive Director General may delegate some of his competencies to officials working at the medical city or specialized hospital.