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Saudi: Jail treatment for doctors who issue false sick notes

February 10, 2014

Medical-leave-actJeddah, Feb 10: Authorities in the Kingdom are set to implement new rules to give the right “treatment” to employees who have been misusing the provision of medical leave by producing bogus sick leave certificates in collusion with some medical practitioners.

What is more, doctors indulging in such unethical practices will be seen as the bigger partner in the crime, attracting harsher penalties than the employees, under the new rules and regulations.

This phenomenon of employees bunking office citing illness backed with a certificate, more so in the government sector than private enterprise, will become a thing of the past once the new rules are introduced sometime next month.

Under the new rules, scrutiny of sick certificate will no longer be an administrative procedure, but will in fact be a prescribed statutory procedure. Bureau of Investigations and Prosecution will file cases against such errant employees, and the medical practitioner will be held more accountable than leave-seeking employees.

Under the new rules, an employee caught producing a bogus certificate will be awarded punishment of three months and SR30,000 as penalty. In the case of the doctor who issued the certificate, it could be up to one year in prison and a penalty of up to SR100,000 or both.

“The new rule promotes ethical practice, prevents abuse or violation of sick leave norms and reduces productivity loss at workplace,” commented Mohammed A. Shatta, personnel manager at a leading company in Jeddah.

Speaking to Arab News, he said: “We receive dozens of medical certificates every day seeking exemption from deduction of salaries for absence. Most certificates are genuine but the reasons or the recommended duration of leave are suspect.”

He explained: “Once we detect the trend, we approach the hospitals concerned, and the occurrence goes down, but only for a while.”

He said that as per regulations, a specialist doctor from a private hospital can recommend sick leave from a day to three days while a consultant can grant sick leave up to five days. As for private clinics, their doctors are not allowed to recommend sick leave for more than a day.

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News Network
June 17,2020

Abu Dhabi, Jun 17: The Ministry of Education (MoE) has allowed students still enrolled in universities overseas to obtain exceptions to attendance policies at their respective academic institutions in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the ministry said that the move stems from its keenness to ensure the continuity of education for those students and to maintain effective channels of communication with them.

Students' applications for exceptions to academic attendance in universities due to Covid-19 should be submitted following the end of the academic year, and not after the academic semester, via the following email: [email protected].

In their email, students have to explain the reasons for the required exceptions and should include an official message from the university concerned.

Scholarship approval issued by the Ministry of Education for studying abroad should also be attached.

The student's score reports for the academic years spent in the host countries and the duration of each academic year should also be attached, in addition to an entry and exit report of the student from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.

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Agencies
May 31,2020

Riyadh, May 31: Over 90,000 mosques in Saudi Arabia reopened their doors to worshippers on Sunday morning after over a two-month closure as part of an ease in the curfew restrictions to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The worshipers were allowed to enter the mosques, except the mosques in Makkah, from Fajr prayers today morning (Shawwal 8) with a limit of 40 per cent capacity.

The reopening of mosques was be undertaken in accordance with the guidance of Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Abdullatif Al Asheikh, and in line with advice issued by the Senior Council of Ulemas.

The ministry has embarked on a vigorous media campaign to urge all worshippers to abide by preventive measures for their own safety to curb the spread of Covid-19.Among the instructions are doing ablution at home, hand-washing and using sanitisers before going out to the mosque and after coming back home.

On Saturday, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has approved opening the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah in stages to the public.

The elderly and those with chronic diseases are advised to perform their prayers at home. Reading and reciting the Holy Quran online is advised, too, from one's own mobile phone or at least reading from a privately owned copy of the Holy Quran.

Bringing one's prayer mat to perform prayers in mosques is highly recommended as well as keeping a two-metre distance between one another prayer.

Accompanying children under the age of 15 to the mosques is prohibited. Putting on a face mask and avoiding shaking hands and other contact is also recommended.

Meanwhile, the ministry managed, during the closure of mosques, to undertaking a massive cleaning, sanitising and maintenance drive in all mosques Kingdom-wide, according to world-class standards and best known practices. This included sanitising over 10 million mosques, 43 million copies of several sizes and volumes of the Quran, more than 600,000 Holy Quran cupboards, in addition to repairing and maintaining about 176,000

water closets, annexed to mosques.

 

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News Network
April 26,2020

Dubai, Apr 26: Saudi Arabia reported 1223 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 17522, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday (April 26).

Meanwhile, the ministry reported 142 recoveries today, with total recoveries in the kingdom at 2357. There are 115 cases in intensive care.

The ministry also confirmed 3 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in the kingdom to 139.

Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz has ordered the partial lifting of a curfew imposed due to the new coronavirus across the country while keeping a 24-hour lockdown in the holy city of Mecca, the Saudi news agency SPA reported Sunday. The partial lifting of the restriction started Sunday from 9am until 5pm and will continue until May 14, the agency added.

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