The Saudi Healthcare System: A View from the Minaret

Abstract

This review article provides information about the origins, history, evolution and current status of the Saudi healthcare system, which is currently being transformed from a publicly financed and managed welfare system to a market-oriented, employment-based, insurance-driven system. Since its inception in the 1920s, the system has provided free healthcare to all Saudi nationals at publicly owned facilities run by government-employed administrators and healthcare providers. For millions of foreign workers in the country, healthcare at privately owned for-profit facilities has been paid for either by the employer or by the individual. At the completion of the three-stage transition, everyone in the country, whether employed in the public or private sector, is expected to have insurance coverage provided by the employer. All Ministry of Health-owned hospitals will be divested to the private sector, whereas primary health centres are likely to be retained by the government. Many of the operational details of the transition are unclear at this stage and will be worked out in the coming years. This paper provides a context for these changes and highlights some of the existing issues and weaknesses. The article also points to some of the future challenges and cautions against pitfalls involved in the complete transformation of the system.

The healthcare system in Saudi Arabia: How can we best move forward with funding to protect equitable and accessible care for all?

“…The decree stated that the government has a responsibility to provide healthcare for all citizens, a tenet which persists to the present day. [9,26,27] This is similar to the social welfare principles underlying healthcare in other countries, for example the UK. Under these types of government-funded healthcare models, care is provided free at the point of use.…”

Prevalence of Lynch syndrome in a Middle Eastern population with colorectal cancer

“…The data collected regarding CRC address one important issue: because of the lack of a modern health care system in Saudi Arabia until the late 1970s, it is impossible to depend on the information provided by the patients, especially if they did not know the disease from which their family member suffered or died. 39 Although family history is central to the Amsterdam II or the revised Bethesda guidelines criteria, the social and cultural issues in the region did not permit us to interview all 807 patients. This was partially overcome by performing MSI analysis by PCR followed by gene mutation testing despite the high costs involved.…”

A lesson learned from Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in Saudi Arabia

“…Our public health system developed over the last 90 years, well supported by the government, and approved primary health care (PHC) to achieve ''Health for All'' since Alma-Ata Declaration more than 35 years ago. However, MERS indicates an urgent need to revitalize national public health system starting with revitalization of PHC and public health (PH) in order to deal cost-effectively with outbreaks, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and other health challenges of the twenty-first century (Khaliq 2012).…”