By Hussein Hazzazi

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The Ministry of Health has issued directives to all its health facilities not to make it conditional for an adult woman to obtain her guardian’s approval in order to be provided health services, informed sources have told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

The sources said that the regulations for curative services earlier stipulated: “No medical procedure can be carried out on any patient unless he gives his consent or the approval of anyone who represents him or that of his guardian if the patient’s consent cannot be accepted.

“The approval of the adult and mentally capable patient should be taken, whether he is a man or woman. Or the approval of the patient’s representative should be obtained prior to carrying out any medical or surgical procedure, provided the representative’s status is authentic.”

The Ministry of Health has asserted to all its authorities to abide by the rules and regulations for practicing the health profession and not to put conditions requiring approval of the guardian in order to provide a woman with medical services.

The directives also include making it compulsory on all doctors, male and female nurses, technicians, administrators, and other categories of staff providing health care to patients directly in all health facilities to get vaccinated against seasonal flu.

The ministry warned that anyone who refuses to be vaccinated would be subject to investigation, according to the regulations.

In this connection, the annual campaign for vaccination against seasonal influenza has kicked off. It will continue for four months in all regions of the Kingdom to vaccinate 4.6 million people with the seasonal flu vaccine.

The ministry has stressed that all the health personnel mentioned above will have to get vaccinated even if they have been vaccinated last year.

The campaign is operating according to four controls. They include providing a vaccination team at every health facility, forming a mobile team, vaccinating them during meetings and lectures and issuing directives to all government authorities and private sector hospitals that all health workers must be vaccinated.

In this connection, the ministry has issued directives to all government, military and private health facilities to take the necessary measures to put the campaign into effect.