Treatment for the citizen’s mother is free in emergency cases

Treatment for the citizen’s mother is free in emergency cases

I am a Saudi citizen with a foreign mother. My mother suffered a head hemorrhage, which is a critical health condition, and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. The hospital reported that the cost of her treatment amounted to (192,000 Saudi riyals), and I was charged the full amount because she is a foreigner and her residency has expired, and she is not entitled to free treatment under any circumstances. The problem is that the hospital charged the cost of treatment to the companion, her daughter. 

We are deeply sorry for what your mother is going through and understand your concern. Your regulatory position is very strong, and what the hospital did was a clear and explicit violation of regulations. Here are the full details of your rights and your mother’s rights. 

The hospital’s commitment to treating emergency cases immediately and unconditionally 

Conclusion: The hospital should have provided emergency treatment to your mother immediately to save her life without any prior financial claim, regardless of her nationality or residence status. 

What your mother experienced (head bleeding) is considered an emergency and critical case that health systems oblige all hospitals (public and private) to deal with as a top priority to save lives. Article Sixteen of the Private Health Institutions Law stipulates very clearly the following: 

The private health institution is committed to providing emergency treatment for all serious emergency cases received, without any financial claim before providing treatment… 

This was also confirmed by the rules for treating emergency cases (Annex 66) issued by the Ministry of Health, which stipulated that the private hospital is obligated to receive all emergency cases and provide treatment to them until the condition stabilizes, “regardless of nationality or employer and without prior financial demand”. 

Therefore, the hospital’s action of linking the provision of treatment to payment or charging you the amount is a clear violation of these regulations, and their duty was to treat and stabilize the condition first, and then discuss financial matters later in accordance with regulatory procedures. 

Treatment for the citizen’s mother is free in emergency cases

You are not legally responsible for reimbursing treatment costs as an escort 

Conclusion: The hospital does not have the right to charge you for your mother’s treatment just because you are her companion. 

The contractual relationship for treatment is between the patient and the hospital. Financial responsibility for utilities is only transferred in one case: if you personally sign a written and clear pledge or guarantee contract in which you expressly agree to bear the costs on behalf of your mother. 

Just because you are her daughter or her companion does not make you legally responsible for her debts. Article 9 of the Health Insurance Beneficiaries Protection Regulations goes further, prohibiting the service provider (hospital) from forcing the insured to sign a payment pledge, reflecting the general principle of protecting the patient and their companions from financial pressures in critical circumstances. 

Your mother deserves treatment at the state’s expense (and this is the main point) 

Conclusion: As a “Saudi citizen mother,” your mother falls within the categories specified by the system for treatment at state expense in emergency cases, even if her residency has expired. 

The Ministry of Health has precisely defined the categories of non-Saudis eligible for treatment. Annex 66 – Rules for the Treatment of Ambulance Cases states that among the categories eligible for treatment at the Ministry’s expense are: 

“…and the mothers and fathers of citizens.” 

This means that the correct action the hospital should have taken was: 

1. Receiving your mother and providing all emergency medical care to save her life and stabilize her condition. 
2. Within 24 hours of receiving the case, the hospital will notify the claims management company appointed by the Ministry of Health to verify her eligibility for treatment (as the mother of a citizen) and then cover the costs of her treatment or transfer to a government hospital if necessary after her condition stabilizes. 

The expiration of residency does not waive this right in emergency and life-saving cases, as health regulations completely separate residency violations from the right to life and treatment, especially for groups with special consideration such as the citizen’s mother. 

Treatment for the citizen’s mother is free in emergency cases

Our legal advice and your next steps: 

Your legal position is completely sound, and we advise you to take the following steps immediately: 

1. Refrain from paying: Do not pay any part of the required amount, as the responsibility does not fall on you. 
2. Address the hospital administration in writing: Submit a complaint or official letter to the hospital administration, clearly stating the above points: their commitment to treating emergency cases without financial conditions, your mother’s right to treatment at state expense as the mother of a citizen according to the Ministry of Health’s regulations, and your non-responsibility for the amount as an escort. 
3. File an urgent complaint with the Ministry of Health: If the hospital administration does not respond, immediately file an official complaint with the Compliance Department of the Health Affairs Directorate in your area, as it is the regulatory body responsible for private hospitals. You can also escalate the complaint through the Ministry of Health’s (937) service, providing them with all the details of the case. 

Do not hesitate to contact the office of lawyer Abdul Majeed Al Rashid for Law and Legal Consultations.