Health professionals in Saudi Arabia face up to six months in jail, fines of up to SR100,000 ($26,650) and loss of their medical licence if they fail to report suspected cases of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), local media have reported.
Saudi Arabia has battled to contain the coronavirus, which has infected about 1000 people in the kingdom, almost half of whom have died, since September 2012.
The World Health Organization in February blamed poor infection control measures at hospitals in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran for causing outbreaks last year.
At least two hospitals in Saudi Arabia have reportedly been forced to close their emergency departments due to outbreaks of MERS among staff as well as patients.
WHO also warned the disease would eventually spread within households and possibly cause “significant hospital-associated outbreaks”, particularly if control measures were not improved.
The international body also said improving infection prevention and control awareness was “critical” to preventing future healthcare facility outbreaks.
On Wednesday, Saudi Minister of Health Ahmed Aqeel Al Khatib said circulars had been issued to the directors of each area health service warning of the consequences of not reporting confirmed or suspected MERS cases, Saudi Gazette reported.
Testing also has been increased, from about 100 samples per week early last year to more than 2000 now, he was quoted as saying.
The ministry has repeatedly urged the public to regularly wash their hands, cough and sneeze into a tissue and avoid contact with camels (which are believed to carry the virus).
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