Health Ministry Probes Doctor Over Patient Privacy

The Ministry of Health has opened an investigation into an expatriate pediatrician accused of filming patients while providing healthcare services and publishing images that violate their privacy, along with making disparaging remarks about Saudi medical staff.

The ministry said the doctor has been formally summoned for investigation and referred to the competent authorities to complete the procedures within their jurisdiction. Legal measures are also being taken against the healthcare facility where the doctor works, in addition to those against the practitioner.

The case is being handled as a violation of the Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions, professional ethics, and patient privacy regulations, and is subject to the prescribed legal and regulatory penalties.

What the rules say

Under the Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions and its related regulations, photographing patients, documenting their medical or cosmetic procedures, or publishing such material by any means without proper consent is classified as a professional violation. Penalties can include revocation of the professional license and a financial fine. Recent comparable cases have ended with license revocation and a monetary penalty.

Breach of patient confidentiality is also treated as a criminal offence under Saudi health and data regulations. Under the Personal Data Protection Law, publishing or disclosing sensitive personal data with intent to harm the individual or gain personal benefit is punishable by imprisonment of up to two years and/or a fine of up to SAR 3,000,000. Other violations of the same law may carry fines of up to SAR 5,000,000, with the possibility of doubling the fine for repeat offences.

The move reflects tighter monitoring of social media clips that contradict professional standards. For residents and expats, the message is clear: patient images or procedure videos must never be shared online without proper consent, and violators face professional and criminal consequences.

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