Within the framework of the periodic meetings conducted by His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, with officials of the private health sector and its investors, for being the MOH's main partner in providing the health services, and seeking to activate the communication with these officials for the benefit of the beneficiaries of these services, Dr. Al-Rabeeah has discussed the establishment of an Advisory Board for coordination between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the private health sector, under the umbrella of MOH’s Assistant Agency for the Private Health Sector Affairs. The discussion took place during the meeting of Dr. Al-Rabeeah at his office in the morning, the day before yesterday with some members of the Health Committee of the Private Sector at the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) and some of the investors in the health sector from the various regions of the Kingdom.
At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Al-Rabeeah stressed on the importance of serving the patient, gaining his satisfaction and making him the focus of interest in the private health sector, meanwhile working to upgrade the services provided to him and meet his health needs, in line with MOH’s directions towards activating the concept of motto: “Patient First”.
Moreover, the meeting discussed organizing joint workshops between MOH and the private sector so as to keep the private sector adequately informed with respect to the health strategy and the health programs that have been added during the past three years, such as the Home Medicine Program, Patient Relations and Rights Program, the Visiting Physician Program, Bed Management, Day Surgery Program, and the Medication Safety Program, in addition to the adoption of facilities’ quality and clinical audit, aside from other developmental programs aiming at serving patients and gaining their satisfaction.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah has underscored the importance of the strategic partnership between MOH and the private sector in a manner that ensures providing the patient with the best health service. Therefore, The Ministry of Health has supplied the private sector with the forthcoming MOH programs, such as “My Referral Program” (Ehalati) and Emergency Services Program, in addition to stressing on the importance of linking the private health sector to the Ministry through a computer network; in order to serve the patient, and facilitate handling the information among the health facilities, within the framework of MOH’s inclusive program to uphold e-health. Besides, Dr. Al-Rabeeah prompted the private sector towards activating its role in participating significantly in the promotion of health and supporting the community with the momentous programs adopted by MOH.
Furthermore, the meeting discussed a number of issues of concern to the private health sector, most notably the importance of developing policies and procedures of working in the private health institutions, particularly in hospitals, that is to be added to explaining limits of powers for the physicians’ clinical practice (physician privilege), to raise the level of quality, and reduce the medical malpractice and self-based improvisation. The discussion shed light, also, on the fact that some private health institutions and pharmaceutical facilities recruit medical and technical cadres without licenses or with expired ones to practice the health professions, which exposes them to systemic sanctions, aside from other notes on the lack of their commitment to the decisions and sanctions issued by the relevant committees, which exposes them to even more severe penalties.
Thereafter, it discussed activating the role of the Health Committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers, and means of communication with the private health institutions and pharmaceutical facilities as soon as possible, aside from the registration of health institutions in the Central Board of Accreditation For Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI), and coordination with it for obtaining the National Quality Certificate, and considering it as one of the basic requirements to obtain a license or renewal.