The Ministry of Health (MOH) has released a program for the purchase of the dialysis service from the private health sector, within the framework of its national program for dialysis, largely deemed to be a feasible, viable solution. The program will be carried out in cooperation with foreign competencies, with a view to providing the best possible, efficient methods of treatment, in accordance with the highest QA standards.
The Assistant Deputy Minister of Health for Hospitals Affairs, and Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the National Program for the Care of Chronic Renal Failure Patients, Dr. Aqeel al-Ghamdi, has affirmed that the provision of dialysis services (of both types: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis) for older and younger persons receiving treatment at MOH facilities, will take a new turn: that is assigning the service provider, responsible for securing all the necessary devices and equipment, to furnish, equip and establish treatment centers under a certain plan that identifies the distribution of such centers on the Kingdom's regions, and the phases of the project. The company (service provider) shall also provide these centers with all the required devices, equipment and disposables, in addition to integrated medical crews to successfully run the centers. The annual allocation for the purchase of this service mounts to around SR 1.9 billion.
“The Ministry of Health has formed a central committee, from which sub-committees stem out at the Kingdom's regions and provinces,” said Dr. al-Ghamdi. “This is intended to monitor and follow up the workflow of the project, both in central and peripheral regions, and make sure of the application of the quality standards stipulated at the RFP, in addition to applying electronic control, by the committees overseeing the project, on the new service-providing centers.”
Al-Ghamdi went on to say, “The Ministry has set the bid requirements and specifications, and formed a technical committee from out of the Ministry's specialized committees. Specifications have been set in order for the service-provider to comply with when establishing the new centers, seeking to achieve the highest possible quality standards in both construction and equipping. The therapeutic standards are also akin to those adopted in Europe and U.S.A. The ultimate objective of all such efforts is to provide excellent medical services for Saudi citizens. The world's biggest, highest-profile companies have been invited to take part in the tender of this project. And the tender will be awarded during the few days ahead.”
For sake of clarity, Dr. al-Ghamdi further expounded that “the purpose of depending on foreign competencies is to accommodate the additional number of patients, provide curative opportunities quickly and aptly, and distribute centers throughout cities, especially such big cities as Jeddah and Riyadh, thus making them more accessible to patients, and improving the level of curative services provided to them by embracing the world's best and most modern dialysis methods. That's to be added to providing the medical and specialized staff necessary for all centers, and offering all curative and diagnostic services in these centers (including: lab tests, vascular links, dialysis and medications), not to forget the experience transfer to the Kingdom.”
“The project shall be divided to three main phases, after which the Ministry, having ensured fulfillment of the success indicators, will move the project on to the following phases,” al-Ghamdi continued. “These success indicators encompass the clinical assessment, lab assessment, patient satisfaction, morbidity and mortality. Phase 1 is planned to last for 24 months, during which a particular emphasis will be placed on the big, main, populous cities, which include major dialysis centers.”
He added, “Phase 1, in turn, will be further divided into three sub-phases. According to this plan, 30% of the phase will be accomplished in the first and second sub-phases, whereas the remaining 40% will be accomplished in the third sub-phase. By the end of each sub-phase, a regular assessment will be conducted about key performance indicators (KPIs). Thereafter, a comprehensive report shall be prepared by the end of Phase 1 (after 24 months). After ensuring the success of the program and the curative workflow, the Ministry shall move on to the following phases. Phase 2, planned to last for 12 months, shall begin 24 months after the start of Phase 1. This phase has to do with providing the service to smaller cities, as well as completing the implementation of the project in big ones. During Phase 3, planned to last for 6 months, the service will be provided to the Kingdom's remaining cities and centers.”
The Assistant Deputy Minister of Health for Hospitals Affairs, and Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the National Program for the Care of Chronic Renal Failure Patients, Dr. Aqeel al-Ghamdi, has indicated that among the benefits to gained from hiring foreign competencies is the adoption of high standards and efficient policies, training Saudi employees, keeping up with the technological developments in the medical arena, improving the performance quality, providing experienced cadres for medical, nursing and supportive services, raising the health facilities' economic efficiency, promoting their competitiveness, and increasing the rate of economic growth by way of getting into partnership with the private sector, as well as attracting capital.
It should be noted that the Ministry has managed over the past period to accomplish a variety of projects at all the Kingdom's regions and provinces in which dialysis services are offered. The total number of dialysis centers and units in the Kingdom has mounted to 142 centers, out which 30 centers are located in Riyadh Region, followed by Assir Region (15 centers), and then al-Qassim Region (13 centers), and then Madinah 11 centers, and then the Eastern Region (9 centers), and then Hail and Jazan (7 centers each), and then al-Baha and al-Taif (6 centers each), and then Jeddah Region and the Northern Border Region (5 centers each), and then al-Jouf and Najran (4 centers each), and then Bisha and Hafar al-Batin (3 centers each), and then al-Qurayyat, al-Qunfudah and al-Ahsa (1 center each).
Speaking of the dialysis of both types (hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis) in the Kingdom, the number of renal failure patients receiving hemodialysis treatment is 9892, whereas the number of those treated by peritoneal dialysis is 471. The number of Hepatitis B patients is 372, and the number of Hepatitis C patients is 1797. The number of children undergoing dialysis operations is 48. Since the Ministry embarked on establishing dialysis centers and units, it has managed to provided the necessary manpower for all such centers and medical specialties. The number of kidney consultant physicians has reached 70, whereas the number of vascular consultant physicians has mounted to 21, in addition to 167 kidney specialists, 15 internal medicine specialists, 315 resident kidney doctors, 71 social workers, 76 nutritionists, 23 psychiatrists, and 2464 nurses.
In the course of the period from 1432 to 1434H, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has managed to carry out several constructional and developmental projects of kidney centers. About 35 new dialysis centers have been established, with a total cost of SR 221.538.563, including: expansion and development of King Fahad Medical Center in Riyadh (at a cost of SR 6.785.042), establishing of a 30-bed-capacity dialysis center at Namira General Hospital in Qunfudah (SR 17.450.780), completion of the emergency and dialysis building at al-Majarda Hospital in Assir Region (SR 9.222.300), establishing of a 40-bed-capacity dialysis center in Sakaka located in al-Jouf Region (SR 15.333.623), establishing of a 40-bed-capacity dialysis center in Hail Region (SR 18.260.967), establishing of a 40-bed-capacity dialysis center in Arar located in the Northern Border Region (SR 15.367.055), establishing of a 40-bed-capacity dialysis center at King Fahad Hospital in al-Baha (SR 18.969.422), establishing of a 30-bed-capacity dialysis center at Beljerashi General Hospital (SR 22.424.348), establishing Prince Abdulmajeed Center for Kidney Diseases at King Fahad Hospital in Jeddah (SR 60.496.747), establishing of a new building at the Kidney Center that pertains to King Abdulaziz Hospital in Jeddah (SR 12.400.000), and establishing of a 30-bed-capacity center for kidney diseases at Yanbu' General Hospital (SR 20.000.000).