Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has announced that submitting or issuing fake sick leave reports is considered as a criminal offence, according to Gulf News.
According to the ministry, people who commit these offences will face up to one year in prison and a fine of SR100,000 ($26,600).
Crucially, the decision was driven by mounting concerns over social media accounts promoting unauthorized medical leave services. Therefore, the ministry advised the public to never deal with such platforms, describing them as illegal and subject to prosecution.
“Only the Sehhaty platform is authorized to issue official sick leave reports. Any report obtained through other means is considered invalid and subject to legal action,” the ministry explained in a statement.
Interestingly, health authorities have launched a digital monitoring system that cross-checks medical leave reports with patients’ health records.
Furthermore, the ministry urged healthcare professionals to commit themselves to their ethical and legal obligations.
It also stated that doctors who issue sick leave without medical reason could bear the disciplinary and legal consequences.
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