Question

Courses Name: Health Policy & Saudi Healthcare System HCM 113

Many countries now struggle to provide cost-effective, quality healthcare services to their citizens. Saudi Arabia has experienced high costs along with concerns about quality of care in its public facilities. To address these issues the country is currently restructuring their healthcare system to privatize public hospitals and introduce insurance coverage for both foreign workers and citizens.

Based on the statement given explain the following points:

1. The history of the Healthcare system in Saudi Arabia.

2. Define the components of the Saudi health care system.

3. The challenges that are facing the Saudi healthcare system with emphasize on the quality and the cost of the healthcare service and how is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is facing those challenges.

Answer 1

1. Health care in Saudi Arabia It is a national health care system in which the government provides health care services through a number of goverment agencies. During 1925, a public health department was established in Saudi Arabia by the decision of King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. In 1926, first school of nursing was opened. In 1927, the school of health and emergency was opened In 1951, the establishment of the Ministry of Health established which expanded the health care system in the country. After that one ordinance in 1980 from the ministry came that result in the conglomeration of the administration of health centers and dispensaries into one unit. At the end of 1980, there were 1640 PHC's, 253 hospitals with 38955 beds. In 1993, the total number of hospitals rose up to 281 and 1,707 primary health centers with total 41,789 beds. In 2002, the Saudi health system was established to insure integrate health care to all population in Saudi Arabia in organized and affordable manner. 2. Component of Saudi Health care system There are three component of Saudi health care system, i.e. they are: a) Primary Health Care (PHC) - This refers to "essential health care" which makes universal health care available to all persons and families of the country. It is a type of health care provided in the community for people making an early approach to a medical practitioner or clinic for the treatment. b) Secondary health care-Here medical care is provided by a specialist or facility upon recommendation by a primary care physician which requires more specialized knowledge, ability, or equipment other than the primary care physician can provide. c) Tertiary health care- It is specialized health care which is usually for inpatients and on referral from a primary or secondary health professional, it is staffs facilities for advanced medical examination and treatment. 3. Challenges Saudi government is facing-

Saudi Arabia struggling with high costs alongside concems about the quality of treatment in its public hospitals and to address such issues - they are currently reorganizing healthcare system to privatize public hospitals and introduce insurance exposure for both its citizens and foreign workers. Another thing is that there has been limited coordination between goverment agencies with respect to sharing resources, especially when it comes to costly medical equipment and infrastructures. There are issues including inadequate provision of care, long wait times in hospitals and discrimination between paying and insured patients. Dependency of country on non-Saudi citizens who constitute approximately 58 percent of health workforce despite continuous efforts to invest in medical education Saudi Arabia witnessing changes in disease patterns from communicable to chronic diseases, which is becoming more prevalent and possess a great challenge to the Saudi population as well as increased burden to existing healthcare services. 1. Yes Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is indeed facing those challenges.

Answer 2

Saudi Arabia has a strong public health care system which is among the top 30 ranked health care systems in the world. Besides the significant improvements, the public health care system in Saudi Arabia is facing many challenges like increased the cost of health care services, increased demand over high population etc.

Saudi Arabia's public health care system is primarily under the Ministry Of Health (MOH) which provides the primary health care services through a network of health care centres (1925 as of now). The programs run by the MOH targets the benefits of the public by giving out comprehensive packages for diagnostic, preventive and curative health services and medicines. In addition, there are numerous benefits to health insurance also.

But the review finding reveals that Saudi Arabia's public health care system needs a lot of improvements in infrastructure, increased cost and demand, workforce capacity etc. In addition, there are concerns regarding the growing chronic diseases, leadership and safety of systems.

In conclusion, besides the significant advances in the past few decades, the public health care system in Saudi Arabia need further reform and improvements.

Answer 3

The Ministry of Health is responsible for public health care services. Both government and private organizations are participating in health delivery system.

Kingdom of saudi arabia is geographically very large country followed by Islamic law. Economy is basrd in oil industry. When compared to past the mortality rate, maternal mortality, and infectious disease ratio is decreased now a days.

Saudi Arabia has high investment in health care system by maintaining good infra structure to improve of citizens. Primary health care /PHC is the basic unit. The main challenges are increased demand of rapid growth of population, high cost for health services, quality concerns, safety of care, ineffective electronic system for data maintanence.

The financial resource for health care sector is provided by government revenue. Co-operative health insurance system was applied. Increased number of colleges for health releated studies and institutes for training staffs are started to overcome staff shortages.

Many countries in the world are struggling to provide cost effective quality health care services to their citizens. Saudi arabia is one among tgem and they are delivering quality care. Kingdom of saudi arabia has experienced high cost along with concerns about quality care. To overcome this the country is having restrictions in some old laws. Restructuring of certain protocols in health field is adopted. Privatization is limited and public hospitals are worked with partial co operation of private share. Operating system id different in different hospitals. The country is now proving insurance to its residents and foreign workers. The co ordination between government agencies in sharing equipments are limited now a days.

Studies have reveled that tgere are issues including in adequate provision of care, long wait times for care services and disrimination between insurance patients and paid patients.

The another main challenge is funding option. Establishment of quality is a high funding requirement. These types of investments are long term. Investment.

Another things are

* money for land purchase

*investor/equality in partnership

*signing an agreement

*infrastructure

*stafging

*Advanced technology

*Importing advanced machines.

*Availability of resources

*Maintaining quality of care

Answer 4

1. History of Healthcare system:

The history of healthcare systems for preventive healthcare and environmental health in Saudi Arabia began in 1925 following the establishment of a public health department.The decision to create it from King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. By 1926 the first school of nursing was opened. In 1949 a small number of medical staff about 111 doctors and fewer than 100 beds hospitals were established. Since then, the Kingdom has made major developments in the healthcare system. Compared to 1949 the number of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals has increased in more than 300 hospitals and 1700 primary healthcare centres around the country.

The remarkable development in the healthcare system has been accompained by an improvement in the quality of health services, especially in the curative medicine. Preventive services started in 1950s when the ARAMCO oil company, in collabaration with the World Health Organization (WHO), helped the Ministry of Health (MOH) to control the malaria in the eastern region of the Kingdom. Medical education has also been developed considerably with more doctors and more dentists graduationg from five medical colleges and two dental schools in 1998. More plans for private medical colleges and dental schools are under discussion. Local literature in health in Saudi Arabia is also been developed.

In 2002, the Saudi health system was established bya Royal decree to insure the provision of comprehensive and integrate health care to all population in Saudi Arabia in an affordable and organized manner. In 2005, health insurance was made compulsory for all non-Saudi nationals working in the country under the Cooperative health insurance act. In 2008 this act was extended to include Saudi nationals working for the private sector.

2. Components of the Saudi health care system:

Good access and effective care including immunization, maternal healthcare, control of epidemic diseases, chronic disease management programmes, prescribing patterns, health education, referral patterns, management and organizational patterns, implementation of evidence based practice, professional development, use of referrals to secondary care, some aspects of interpersonal care, etc.   

3. Challanges:

The main challanges that are facing the Saudi healthcare system with empasize on the quality and cost of health care service includes Composition of the health force, Lack of capital and human resource acquistion coordination, Human resource development, Rapid increase in health expenditures, Reimbursement controls, Separation of the MOHs multiple roles (financing, provision, control and supervision of health care delivery), Diversifying financial sources, implementing the cooperative health insurance, Increasing competition, Privitazation of public hospitals, Effective management of chronic diseases, Development of practical polices for national crises, Establishmnet of an efficient national health information system with digital support facilities,etc

To face the challenges first improve the primare health care system (PHC) and improve the HRD system. The private sector create more medical, dental, nursing and other specialized training professionals to face this challanges. For successful implementation of a good quality healthcare system, high quality service to all citizens, a balance between preventive and curative services will have to be established, managerial and administrative  skills in the health facilities have to be sharpened throught application of quality programs, and the quality and quantity of the training of Saudi health manpower should be properly developed.

Answer 5

History of health care system in saudhi arabia

The history of health care services in Saudi Arabia begins with 1949.it was started because of the medical Renaissance happened in the world. In saudi Arabia the medical revolution begins with the help of few staffs in their own country.at that time the country has only hundred and eleven doctors and a hospital with less than 100 beds.since then the kingdom made huge advances and major developments in every corner of the vast kingdom.by comparing with 1949 the number of doctors and nurses increased to twenty five time and twenty times.due to the increase in demand for medical safety for the people in country they formed ministry of health in 1950.the government increase the budjets of ministry of health for more medical safety.

This remarkable development in the health care system improved the quality of curative medicine.the preventive services started in 1950 by collaborating with WHO,which helps the MOH to control malaria leshmianisis ,trachoma ,tuberculosis and other epidemic desieses.The country also developed the concept of primary health care in 1978 to provide primary health services to all the citizens and immunization over 90 percentage of children's in the country.

At present MOH is providing 60 percentage of health services at free of cost .20percentage of health services delivered free of charge by government and 20 percentage by private sector

The components of health care in Saudi Arabia consists of

Financing resources, health insurance and privatisation of health care system

The public health sector is financed,operated, controlled and supervised by MOH.the total expenditure for comes from the government in free of cost. there was a great increase in financial budget.the health was introduced in 1999 to regulate and supervise health insurance market in three stages .first stage for private sector ,second for public sector and third for other groups. Saudi health ministry established a holding company and five regional companies for the privatization of health care system.every company will manage a cluster of hospital and health centres.

There are a number of challenges involved in Saudi health care system such as shortage of saudi health care professionals,rapid population growth, high cost of health care services , difficult to access,growing burden of chronic desieses, concern regarding the quality and safety of care ,poor co-operation and coordination between other sectors of care.

The Saudi health care system is growing through a period of evolution to support and overcome and to promote the population health.they initiated health programs and take initiative of the Saudi vision 2030 on health and planned to focus on public health and PHC service. Shortage of staffs in health care is one of the major problems faced by the government.because most of the peoples in the country does not prefer the health sector due to some issues like low salary.saudi government resolved this issue by promoting staffs from other countries. To address this issues the country is currently re structuring the health care system to privatize public c hospitals and introduce insurance coverage for both foreign workers and citizens

Answer 6

The Health care system in Saudi Arabia was established in the year 2002. It was established by the Royal decree to enhance the promotion of intensive health care to all people in Saudi Arabia in a reasonable manner (Walston, S., et al 2008). The country is divided into 13 provinces and 20 health care directorates where regional autonomy is taken into account (Walston, S., et al 2008). The health care sector in Saudi Arabia encourages health promotion and prevention. Health care in Saudi Arabia is free for all Saudi citizens and the expatriated working in the public sector through ministry of health and other government facilities (Walston, S., et al 2008).

The health care in Saudi Arabia comprises three major sectors. They are Ministry of Health network hospitals and primary health centers throughout the country, private organizations and other government sectors. Most of the inpatient facilities in the nation is provided by MOH hospitals (Walston, S., et al 2008). Private sector comprises of the private hospitals where care is provided outside the ministry of health sector. They are small compared to other public health care sectors mostly funded by the insurance sector. Public sectors are mainly connected to ministry of health and the findings are process through the health care system for all the Saudi nationals. Other governments sectors include health care facilities funded by the Ministry of Defense and Aviation Medical Services, Ministry of Interior Medical Services, National Guard Medical Health Affairs, university hospitals, and others (Walston, S., et al 2008).

One of the most challenging situations faced by the nation is the nationalization of Saudi workers in the industry. In this multicultural society, most of the health care providers in Saudi Arabia are non-Saudi population. Although intensive efforts are made to promote Saudi health workers in the health care sector Saudi- health workers comprises of only 17%. Another challenging fact is the high health related costs. To overcome this issue Saudi Arabia reframing the health care system more on privatization on the public health sector. Apart from that Saudi health government is planning to introduce health insurance coverage for foreign and its civilians. Rapidly growing population coupled with free services is the major reason for the increase in health care expenditures. Thus increased demand in the health care sectors leads to long waiting periods for accessing the care. Increased competition between the public and private sector is another challenge for the health care system in Saudi Arabia. As public hospitals are globally funded the need for business centers in by the private sector is a requirement. The government managed to generate health care revenue from their business centers initially. There are many challenged faced by both sectors to generate their budget from the business centers (Walston, S., et al 2008).

Having considered all the challenges the health care systems in Saudi Arabia may have positive or negative impacts. However, the government overlooks to reduce the health care expenditures by following their newer strategies and policies within the system and delivers high quality care for their citizen and selected foreign nationals. Whatever the challenges or final strategies will be the future of the health care system is expected to be interesting (Walston, S., et al 2008).