The Ministry of Health has released its Statistical Yearbook, including the speech of his Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, as its foreword. In his speech, Dr. Al-Rabeeah sheds light on the Ministry's efforts to lay down the pillars of health services and to provide them to each citizen and resident in living throughout our dear country. Such services have been provided through the various health facilities spread out all over the Kingdom, and through the fruitful, constructive cooperation with the health sector affiliated to other governmental bodies, such as the hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Interior (MOI), the Ministry of Defense, the National Guard, and the Ministry of Higher Education, within other governmental bodies and authorities, in addition to the private sector hospitals.
He also underscored the generous directions given by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, May Allah protect them. The Ministry worked hard on providing the best health services at all preventive, therapeutic, diagnostic and rehabilitative levels, according to which medical services have been (and are still being) provided by means of the state-of-the-art methods.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah pointed out in his speech that the Kingdom has made wide-scale strides in the field of providing distinctive health services, which paved the way to occupying prestigious position in such a field at both the regional and international levels. That's to be added to realizing several achievements in that respect. Hence, this contributed to releasing the Yearbook the Ministry releases annually to highlight all achievements and activities of different fields.
His Excellency the Minister of Health wished that the release would come in handy for health practitioners, researchers, and specialists to view the population health indicators, and follow up what the Kingdom's tangible development in the health services. He prayed for Allah the Almighty to guide all to what is appealing to them, and make the work purely for the Beneficent Allah.
The Yearbook contains four main chapters, tackling a host of important topics, mainly focused on showing the current health situation and the most important indicators of health resources. It also touches upon the most important infectious and non-infectious diseases, placing particular emphasis on the endemic diseases such as mlaria, leishmaniasis, and schistosomiasis.
In addition to this, the book sheds light on the most prominent health and human resources in the various health sectors, represented by the Ministry of Health and other governmental bodies such as university and private sector hospitals.
Furthermore, the Yearbook presents a crystal clear image of the health services of the three health sectors, statistics of the patient numbers of the outpatient clinics, hospitalized patients, surgerical operations, and birth-giving, in addition to examinations at radiology departments and laboratories. Also, the book discusses and displays the health status make-up, health services and health resources provided to Allah's guests (Hajj pilgrims).
The Ministry's yearbook contains comprehensive information about the size of health facilities affiliated to the Ministry, its activities, and its services in the Kingdom. It also displays comprehensive statistics for the health facilities and services affiliated to other governmental bodies, in addition to private sector activities.
The Statistical Yearbook – 1432H includes a report on the number of visits which the patients made to the health centers and the outpatient clinics of the Health Ministry's hospitals; the number of visits has reached (66 million) to the health utilities of the Health Ministry during 2011; whereas the number of surgerical operations has reached (430096); and the number of birth (256690) cases. In addition to this, the number of hospitalized patients has reached (1700176) at the Ministry's hospitals; and the number of laboratory tests (137872431); and the total of x-ray examinations (84000, 000).
Moreover, the Statistical Yearbook shows that the number of hospitals affiliated to the Health Ministry has risen to (251) hospitals at total capacity of (34450) beds; and (2109) primary health care centers. And the number of those who work in the health field in terms of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and assistant medical staff at the Health Ministry has reached (203856): of whom there are (69226) physicians, (1487) pharmacists, and (134632) male and female nurses. Whereas the number of assistant medical staff has reached (78823) technicians; as for the number of Saudi physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and assistant medical staff has reached (58197).
It is noteworthy that MOH's Statistics Department has published the book on the internet at the Ministry's website:
www.moh.gov.sa.