The third meeting of the Executive Board of the Ministry of Health (MOH), which was held yesterday under the chairmanship of His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Rabiah, has approved the Primary Healthcare Strategic Plan and set its implementation priorities, in line with the existing potentials for improving the service quality and achieving the highest level of patient satisfaction.
This news was announced by MOH’s official spokesman, Dr. Khalid Marghlani, who also added that the plan features a number of strategic goals, most prominently: reducing the morbidity burden on society and improving the people's quality of life by providing preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services for all age groups within the overall framework of primary healthcare. The plan also includes facilitating the provision of comprehensive health services for the whole community, in such a mannar that is commensurate with its needs, and developing the primary healthcare quality.
He pointed out that the classification and distribution of health centers are meant to cover all of the regions, provinces, cities and villages of the Kingdom, providing major advanced health services for a reasonable cost in accordance with the needs of the population.
Dr. Marghlani added that the Board then discussed a number of other topics on the agenda, including the ministry's plan to improve health services quality by raising the efficiency of operations, monitoring and law enforcement. They also discussed introducing performance measurement and control systems and ways to increase manpower and morale. Also on the agenda was the Health Leadership Development Program, which aims to prepare a highly-trained and qualified generation to lead the healthcare sector into the future. These new healthcare professionals will be educated and trained under programs both inside and outside of the Kingdom in cooperation with Saudi and international universities. The Board also approved the implementation of new standards for the Ministry’s printing system that meet environmental, local and international standards for conservation and waste-reduction.
The Executive Board for the Ministry of Health is chaired by the Minister of Health and includes ministers, assistant deputies and a number of general managers and advisers. The Board sets foundations, rules and operational procedures to provide MOH healthcare services as listed in the health system and its executive list. Furthermore, the board approved the healthcare strategy for providing, developing and distributing healthcare services to the whole society. It approved procedures and regulations that ensure the patient's right to easily access all levels of health services. It also approved the system for controlling the dispensing and availability of pharmaceuticals, as well as the equitable distribution of regional hospitals, health centers and bed space within the Ministry’s budget.
The board also reviews the healthcare needs of each region according to its facilities, population and geographical conditions, and makes budgetary recommendations to ensure the availability of healthcare programs to meet the specific needs of each region.
The Board also approves healthcare regulations and quality standards and ensures their implementation, and approves programs to prepare, educate and train the healthcare workforce. It approves regulations for governing procedures for medical and pharmaceutical research, along with any other issues referred to the Board by its Chairman.