The Ministry of Health has issued a circular to hospitals and health centers around the Kingdom stating that female patients should not be examined without the presence of a nurse.
The decision comes in the wake of several male residents saying they find it too embarrassing to have their wives examined by doctors one-on-one.
The ministry reiterated that it has not received any instructions from other entities, such as the religious police, to implement the new rules.
The ministry has received complaints from male guardians about their female relatives being examined on their own in the past.
Complainants almost always stipulate that check-ups should be conducted by female doctors or at the very least, have a nurse present if the doctor is male.
Khalid Al-Esaimi, General Health Affairs spokesman in the Eastern Province, said there are circulars that define and clarify procedures on how to deal with nurses.
“These are distributed to various departments, hospitals and health centers and stipulate that female patients should be examined with the presence of at least one nurse,” he said.
“Male employees are not allowed to enter examination rooms or departments allocated to women without a very good reason or the prior consent of the patient.”
Male doctors can’t check up women without a nurse present
