MOH Assistant Deputy Minister Mr. Ghazi Jeelani said MOH has realized many achievements during the past five years. The bed capacities of MOH hospitals have been elevated and new hospitals erected. In 1426, 26 hospitals, 13 new and 13 replacement hospitals, have been operated, upping the total number of hospitals to 213 and overall capacity to 30317 beds, whereas in 1427 four new hospitals have been established in Najran, Al-Khasirah, Ahad Al-Masarha, and Al-Kharkhir, with bed capacities of 50 beds each. Zhahran Ophthalmic Hospital has been launched in the same year by a bed capacity of 100 beds. In 1428, the Medical Tower at King Saud Medical Complex has been opened by a capacity of 380 beds, in addition to six new hospitals. Al-Jeelani, who was speaking in the Main Hall of the MOH premises told reporters that a number of new hospitals have been accomplished to be operated during the current year. MOH has finalized the construction of 29 hospitals, 20 new and 9 replacement hospitals, to be operated during the current year, with a total capacity of 1950 beds. A number of hospitals are now under construction to be operated next year. 19 hospitals, including 11 new hospitals, are in their final stages of construction. Other hospitals will be launched during the first half of the Ninth Development Plan. MOH is currently undertaking the works of establishing 97 hospitals in the different parts of the Kingdom, with a total capacity of 18500 beds.
"MOH has paid great care to diagnostic and therapeutic services" Al-Jeelani said. "The Royal Court has approved an MOH proposal of adopting the self operation system instead of the current system of operating hospitals through companies, a step which is expected to pave the way for providing more care to therapeutic and rehabilitation services".
According to Al-Jeelani, MOH has scored success in many areas, including development of early checkup programs for preventing handicaps among newborns, preventing hospital infections, activating emergency and disaster plans, introducing evidence based medicine, and combating diabetes.
"MOH has adopted a strategy of establishing specialized hospitals for alleviating the suffering of consulting the specialized hospitals in the capital", he said. "19 reference hospitals, covering all parts of the Kingdom, will be established under the Health Belt Project for providing specialized health care in the different provinces". Such hospitals include already existent hospitals as well as new hospitals within MOH approved projects.
Al-Jeelani said the total number of health centers has risen from 1824 centers in 1424 to 1925 centers in 1428. A grand national project is now underway for replacing all existent health centers in four stages. 150 new hospitals will be opened this year to raise the total number of health centers to 2075.
On manpower development and Saudization Al-Jeelani said the total number of manpower has risen by 12% from 134000 in 1424 to 152000 in 1428. The Saudization percentage to the total number of manpower has risen from 46.8% in 1424 to 52% in 1428. The nursing manpower has risen from 37918 nurses in 1424 to 44395 nurses in 1428, whereas the Saudization percentage among nurses has risen from 32% in 1424 to 42% in 1428.