Expat health personnel demand ‘infection allowance’
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Jeddah: Expatriate health professionals working in government hospitals are being denied an “infection allowance” by the Health Ministry, despite their frequent work with highly infectious patients.
Due to this, health personnel who deal with such cases are granted an allowance by the ministry as per its official guidelines.
However, the allowance is being routinely denied to expatriate health professionals who are working in isolation wards, according to reliable sources.
The issue is particularly prevalent in Madinah region, where some expatriate employees have approached to administrative court to solve the issue.
Miqat General Hospital is designated as the key hospital in the region that receives and treats all types of infectious cases, including those transferred from other hospitals in the city, such as King Fahd Hospital and Al-Ansar hospital.
Expatriate health experts have approached the ministry in the region several times to discuss the issue but the problem remains unsolved.
Aggrieved workers of isolation wards have also confronted the administrative court to challenge the denial of their right to the allowance.
The majority of such health workers hail from India, the Philippines, Egypt and Sudan, sources told Arab News.
Earlier, the court had ruled in favor of expatriate workers, as there is no clause to distinguish between Saudi and non-Saudi in terms of payment of the allowance.
Yet, the ministry has not approved the payment of infection risk allowance to expatriate health experts of the hospital.
Health workers in the hospital have declined to reveal further details about the issue.
Due to this, health personnel who deal with such cases are granted an allowance by the ministry as per its official guidelines.
However, the allowance is being routinely denied to expatriate health professionals who are working in isolation wards, according to reliable sources.
The issue is particularly prevalent in Madinah region, where some expatriate employees have approached to administrative court to solve the issue.
Miqat General Hospital is designated as the key hospital in the region that receives and treats all types of infectious cases, including those transferred from other hospitals in the city, such as King Fahd Hospital and Al-Ansar hospital.
Expatriate health experts have approached the ministry in the region several times to discuss the issue but the problem remains unsolved.
Aggrieved workers of isolation wards have also confronted the administrative court to challenge the denial of their right to the allowance.
The majority of such health workers hail from India, the Philippines, Egypt and Sudan, sources told Arab News.
Earlier, the court had ruled in favor of expatriate workers, as there is no clause to distinguish between Saudi and non-Saudi in terms of payment of the allowance.
Yet, the ministry has not approved the payment of infection risk allowance to expatriate health experts of the hospital.
Health workers in the hospital have declined to reveal further details about the issue.
