His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, pointed out that the Ministry of Health is witnessing a quantum leap and a comprehensive dynamic development in all its services and facilities, harnessed for serving the patients. During Eid Al Fitr greeting ceremony held by the Ministry on Sunday morning, Dr. Al Rabeeah stated "I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to congratulate you on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr, and to extend our sincere congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, His Crown Prince and the Second Deputy, praying that Allah would bless all the Saudi people with prosperity and happiness.
Moreover, Dr. Al Rabeeah thanked all of those who worked day and night, during the holiday period, to provide valuable services to pilgrims, visitors and patients who were hospitalized in the MOH’s facilities in Makkah, Madina, and all regions of the Kingdom praying that Allah would reward them with what is good for them.
Furthermore, Dr. Al Rabeeah reviewed the latest achievements, figures and statistics on the MOH’s services, which are all harnessed to serve the patients, he added that the Ministry has now a strategic plan for the next ten years, under the slogan: the patient comes first and he added that the national project for integrated and comprehensive health care is considered one of its main pillars. This strategic plan contains a range of programs and initiatives that aim to establish an institutional work system. They are implemented for the first time, for example: the formation of the Executive Council in the Ministry and its affiliated specialized committees as well as the Executive Board of each health affairs directorate and its affiliated specialized committees.
He also added that the Ministry has also expanded the visiting physician program, where the number of the visiting physicians has reached more than 1000 consultant doctors in all specialties, who have been distributed to the hospitals of all regions of the Kingdom. He pointed out that so far 388 beds of the Intensive Care and Dialysis have been inaugurated, and the Ministry currently refers the cases which are in need of Intensive care unit, to the private sector hospitals, in case there are not available beds. Last year, more than 200 million was spent in this regard.
Moreover, Dr. Al Rabeeah pointed out that the rate for One Day Operation Program has jumped from 3% in 1430 to 33% this year, through which the patients have been served and waiting periods have been reduced. In addition, the total number of beneficiaries from Domestic Medicine Program; a hospital-based complementary medicine, reached more than 7000 patients. The Ministry has also hired 18,000 physicians and nurses last year and 4500 physicians and nurses during the past six months.
Regarding training programs, His Excellency said that more than 18,000 trainees, physicians and other health specialties, were trained at the MOH’s training centers. That is in addition to 9000 trainees at the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) through an agreement signed recently. Such an agreement enables the Ministry to train 16,000 trainees at IPA. There are 1300 scholars enrolled in the scholarship ranging from doctors to other medical categories.
He further pointed out that training and Scholarship General Department has enrolled 1800 physicians to study within the Kingdom’s internal scholarship system, in addition to 200 administrative and health employees in the Kingdom.
So far as development projects are concerned, Dr. Al Rabeeah said that the number of underway development projects, and proposed projects, included in the budget of the Ministry in all the regions and governorates of the Kingdom, which will contribute to advancing the level of health services, and which stand at a total cost of 41 billion Riyals. Its number stands at 195 health facilities, including 5 medical cities, for which a royal decree was issued to be carried out, and 97 hospitals specialized in obstetrics, pediatrics and psychological health. That is in addition to restoring the infrastructure of 44 hospitals. The projects also include 22 medical towers, in addition to proposing the remaining 8 diabetes centers out of 21 centers, as well as proposing 11 dental centers and 13 medical laboratories and blood banks. These projects will be located in all regions and governorates of the Kingdom, which will upgrade the level of health services, costing a total of 41 billion Saudi riyals.
Furthermore, His Excellency added that 8 hospitals were opened since the beginning of this year in addition to 7 hospitals in 1431, bringing the total number of hospitals opened during 1430-today, to 33 hospitals. These hospitals contain 4120 beds. In addition, 32 hospitals are expected to be received within the next two years containing 6000 beds, where more than 85% are already achieved. The Ministry has established and operated 671 new centers, while 207 of such centers are expected to be received this year. This brings the total number of what has been delivered since 1430 to 878 new centers out of 2077 health centers this year. Thus, the percentage of new health centers has increased to 42% of the total number of all health centers. In addition a tender has been put up for 382 centers, bringing the total number of new health centers to 1260 centers; 60% of the total number of all health centers.
Regarding the field of information and communication technology, Dr. Al Rabeeah pointed out that most MOH’s hospitals have been linked with an electronic system to record and follow-up sentinel events that occur in hospitals for a maximum of 48 hours. On the other hand, private sector will also be linked in the future. Moreover, a unified system for multimedia communications has been developed to allow users to receive all their incoming messages (voice, video and fax) on their e-mail or phone, in addition 150,000 of the MOH employees will be linked in the first phase. However, the Ministry of Health portal was launched in order to provide electronic interactive awareness services for the public, in Arabic and English. Furthermore, a system for measuring and recording patient satisfaction automatically, regarding the services provided in hospitals. This system will be implemented through Patient Relations Department within the next coming months. Directorates and hospitals have been linked with the Ministry at a high speed to meet the systems of the Ministry. In addition, the capabilities of communication circuits and internet have been improved at 106 hospitals; representing 80% of the services of the Ministry of Health, the paging system has been installed in 60 hospitals to be used by health personnel to serve patients, and is to be installed in 100 additional hospitals over the next year. A wireless network has been installed for the emergency and ambulance services in the Ministry in Riyadh.