Domestic workers in Saudi Arabia—maids, cooks, and drivers for the most part—are generally foreign laborers. The sad fact is, despite the fact that the majority of Saudis treat their employees at least adequately, there’s a large number who don’t. The level of abuse the workers sustain too frequently leads to their need for medical care. Until now, they had to find that care for themselves, a fact that was not helped by the state-run hospitals’ penchant for turning them away.

Now, however, King Abdullah has ordered that all state-run hospitals provide free treatment to these foreign domestic workers, Saudi Gazette reports.

Domestic workers are not protected by the laws that protect other foreign laborers. This new ruling does not apply to those other foreign workers.

Saudi Arabia still has a ways to go in rectifying the generally lax laws intended to protect expat workers and those laws’ enforcement. There is movement on this front, pat of the top-to-bottom legal reforms now underway, but it’s a long road.

Foreign victims of domestic violence to get free treatment
Abdullah Al-Maqati

DHULM – All government hospitals will treat foreign victims of domestic violence free-of-charge as per a directive of King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

The hospitals have been notified by the Ministry of Health to provide detailed reports of such free treatment provided.

The free treatment service will be available until such time all foreign residents are covered by the cooperative health insurance program.

Dr. Muflih Al-Qahtani, chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), said the King’s directive is a “big help” reflecting the care accorded to foreign workers in the Kingdom.

Victims of domestic violence, both citizens and residents, have complained to NSHR about being denied access to government hospitals, and not being able to afford treatment at private hospitals, Dr. Al-Qahtani said.

The King’s directive followed a Ministry of Health report to him about the plight of such workers, many of whom are still to be included in the cooperative health insurance scheme. – Okaz/SG