In a move emphasizing the Ministry of Health (MOH) keenness to increase effectiveness of hospitals' performance and improve their services, the MOH has directed all health directorates to apply a package of administrative methods and select what suits each directorate in accordance with overall actual needs. The MOH has shown that such series of methods are optional, noting that each directorate, after a careful study, will select the most effective method for servicing the patient and gaining his satisfaction.
Topping such solutions is the method of extending working hours of outpatient clinics at hospitals as needed by each health facility up to 05:30 pm, including the probability of resuming work at clinics on Saturday or from 05:00 – 08:00 pm as per the length of the waiting list at each hospital. The Ministry also directed the health directorates to make use of the method of the one-day surgery if possible and raise the percentage at each directorate as per waiting lists and treatment requirement.
The third proposed solution comes as part of a package of urgent measures to emphasize the importance of forming rapid intervention teams in each hospital to handle critical cases, including the ones about to enter the stage of cardiovascular arrest. The fourth administrative method is introducing a follow-up program and increasing productivity of physicians by providing them with financial incentives; that is to be added to looking into the possibility of activating staff clinics at hospitals to evaluate repetition of sick leaves.
One of the applicable solutions, according to the Ministry, is facilitating entry and discharge procedures for hospitalized patients, by means of establishing a departure lounge and a discharge section for patients. The fifth solution is the early start of operations up to the end of physicians' working hours, as well as using operation rooms at maximum capacities. The sixth solution is to make use of the programs of raising the level of quality and patient safety by intensifying training.
Such a step comes to confirm the Ministry's endeavor to reduce congestion at the outpatient clinics in the crowded hospitals, as well as radiology sections, so that appointments don't exceed two weeks for outpatient clinics and operations and four weeks for x-ray, MRI and CT.