RIYADH — The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS) detected over 3,700 confirmed cases of fabricated certificates for medical practitioners and health fraud last year.
Nursing was at the top of fabricated certificates with 2,254 cases. Support health sciences certificates came in second place with 659 cases while the number of fabricated doctors’ certificates were 218, including 75 internal medicine. About 47 of these cases were in the private sector and 27 in the public sector.
In addition, 143 degrees in dentistry were detected. The cases include 122 certificates for workers in the private sector and 21 certificates for employees in the government sector. The number of fraudulent certificates of pharmacy reached 403. Over 220 cases of forged work experience certificates were also found.
According to an official report issued by SCHS, the number of unaccepted and forged qualifications last tear reached about 887 certificates, equivalent to almost 10 percent of the total certificates entered in the system for audit and review. There were also 2,618 practices for health practitioners of the total beneficiaries of services totaling 39,875. The number of fake health practitioners in the private sector was 2,578 while the total number of forged certificates for workers in the public sector was 1,177.
