The Ministry of Health (MOH) has issued a report on its achievements, projects and health services, within the framework of the ten-year health plan, which comes as part of the Ministry's strategic plan.
It was His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, who wrote the opening statement of the report, it which he said, “It is no secret that the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, as well as our dear citizens' aspirations, go beyond the current achievements.” Meanwhile, he called upon all MOH employees to work day and night, and spare no effort in an endeavor to realize this vision and attain these aspirations, with a view to ensuring a bright future, where all citizens can enjoy best-quality, world-class health service over the few years to come.
At the beginning of the book, there is an elaborate introduction which sheds light on the most significant achievements accomplished by the Minister of Health in terms of the four levels of medical services, making sure to maintain the highest quality level adopted throughout the world. Such achievements could have not accomplished but for the directions and momentous support of the Wise Leadership, which were then rendered and translated by the MOH officials, under the prompt supervision of His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Al-Rabeeah, who embraces teamwork and incurs responsibility as best as could be.
It was made clear, in the report, that the purpose of enumerating such achievements is, in the first place, to introduce our dear citizens with the achievements accomplished, and those still underway, thus informing him of what's going on in their Ministry. In doing so, we are reiterating that serving our citizens is the first and foremost priority of all MOH employees; a culture which has been entrenched and cherished in all MOH hospitals and health centers. The report underscored, also, the MOH's strategic plan, based upon the National Project for Comprehensive and Integrated Health Care, meant to achieve justice, accessibility to services, high quality, expansion and higher productivity.
Besides, the report touched upon the already-accomplished programs, health and technical facilities, as well as the efforts exerted and tasks assumed by MOH cadres, with the aim to apply primary health care, generally looked upon as the fundamental pillar of health services provision, and giving rise to the modern conception of public health, meanwhile seeking to gain patients' satisfaction and preserving their health and safety, emanating from the MOH's slogan: “Patient First”.
The report unveiled a number of new programs adopted by the Ministry for the first time. It also highlighted the achievements accomplished in the field of institutional and administrative performance, as well as quality development and patient safety. The report pointed out that all such achievements come in concordance with the MOH's plan, and the National Project for Comprehensive and Integrated Health Care, based upon certain regulations that help employees through their way to the sought-after objective.
The 200-page report is divided into 16 chapters, the first of which is devoted to the MOH's strategic plan and the National Project for Comprehensive and Integrated Health Care. The second chapter touches upon the construction projects carried out by the Ministry, and those still under construction or even expected to be established in the days to come. The third chapter concentrated on the MOH's medical cities and specialized centers. Radiological, diagnostic, mental, rehabilitative and dental services are all covered in the fourth chapter.
The fifth chapter of the report enumerates the new programs introduced by the Ministry for serving patients, whereas the sixth chapter gives an elaborate account of the mechanism adopted by the Ministry, by entrenching and cherishing institutional and administrative work. The seventh chapter sheds light on oriented programs, basically meant to improve quality and realize patient safety, whilst the eighth chapter is devoted to the various developmental programs.
In the ninth chapter, the report tackled the human development and training programs, and explained, in the tenth chapter, the ICT in all MOH facilities. The eleventh chapter is centered upon preventive medicine. Supportive medical services are covered in the twelfth chapter.
The thirteenth chapter is devoted to media, health awareness, and the Ministry's indispensable role in raising citizens' awareness. The report draws attention, in the fourteenth chapter, the Ministry's efforts and services provided during the Hajj season. The fifteenth chapter touches upon the future vision the Ministry aspires to over the upcoming years (1433 – 1440H). The last chapter includes all the numbers and statistics of the Ministry over the past three years.
It was pointed out in the report that the number of health facilities established by the Ministry of Health has mounted to 251 hospitals, and 2109 primary health centers, in addition to specialized medical centers, medical cities and specific programs, staffed by over 250.000 employees. The last year's statistics show that primary healthcare centers have received a total of about 55 million patients, whereas outpatient clinics received about 11.5 million frequenters, and emergency sections received 20 million frequenters. Also, there have been over 430.000 surgeries and 256.000 birth-giving cases.
The report, also, touches upon the Ministry's achievements over the past three years: it has set certain standards for the construction of health facilities, emanating from and concordant with the internationally approved standards and criteria, which take into considerations the world's most advanced health coding standards. In so doing, the Ministry has abided by the directions given by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, May Allah protect him, to protect citizens and preserve their health and safety.
According to the report, the Ministry of Health has put an end to the bed crisis, by proposing a number of such urgent solutions as the full operation of the available beds, especially intensive care beds, and the expansion of purchasing the services from the private health sector in severe and urgent cases, when beds at MOH's hospitals are insufficient. This is to be put into effect by referring cases to private sector hospitals. The total expenditures in this regard, since the outset of this year, have mounted to over SR 500 million.
The report enumerated the MOH's projects over the years from 1430 to 1433H, which have been estimated as 621 primary healthcare centers. A number of 47 hospitals (with a total bed capacity of 4770 beds) have been set to work. And underway is the construction of 706 health centers, and 128 hospitals, in addition to King Khaled Medical City in the Eastern Region, King Faisal Medical City to serve the Southern regions, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Medical City to serve the Northern regions, aside from the bed-associated expansions and additions in King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah, and King Fahad Medical City in Riyadh.
It was made clear in the report that the under-construction projects are expected to double the total bed capacity in 1430H, to leap up, over the coming seven years, to about 66.000 beds, meanwhile taking into consideration the criterion of quality, and abiding by the world's most advanced standards, as well as making the necessary modifications to some projects to abide by the internationally approved standards.