The Minister of Health Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Mane said 91 hospitals and medical towers will be established in the different parts of the Kingdom by the end of this year. All those hospitals will be equipped and operated in accordance with the timetable agreed upon with the Ministry of Finance and most of them will enter into service during the current year, he said during an exciting dialogue in which all hot issues relative to the services delivered by the Ministry of Health have been discussed. The Minister of Health was a host in a dialogue broadcasted by the Saudi First TV Channel and presented by Talat Hafez. The famous Shura Mb Dr. Mohammed Al Zulfa and the writer Dr. Abdul Rhaman Al-Sultan from the Al-Iqtisahiah Newspaper participated in the dialogue which was presented in two parts on Thursday and Friday 6-7/6/1428H and concentrated on ongoing health projects and ways of dealing with challenges.
Dr. Al-Zulfa demanded transparency in answering all questions relative to the issues to be discussed in the dialogue. Dr. Al-Mane talked on the challenges confronting the health sector, the strategic plans of the Ministry of Health, executed projects and projects under execution, and the challenges involved in execution such as scheduling execution works, controlling costs, application of international health standards, etc. He said the works of about 177 health facilities will be accomplished within the coming three years.
He elaborated on the challenges involved in providing manpower for operating the health facilities, Saudization of the health sector, upgrading manpower skills, ensuring drug supplies, stretching health services to the different parts of the Kingdom, etc.
He concluded the dialogue by a brief account on the strategy of the Ministry of Health for the coming years, including health education, provision of quality health services to citizens and residents, and improvement of primary health care services.
MOH statistics for the year 1425H shows that about 82% of patients consulting MOH facilities were served through primary health care centers (about 55 million), whereas 16% were served through outpatient clinics (10 million) and 2% were admitted as inpatients at hospitals.