Locate five different types of healthcare organizations in Saudi Arabia. Formulate a chart that describes the differences in the facilities. Be sure to include items that describe their: Financing, O
HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA 11
Healthcare Organizations in Saudi Arabia
Introduction
Saudi Arabia’s healthcare system has tremendously developed over the past 20 years, as evidenced by numerous healthcare facilities spread across various parts of the Kingdom. The Kingdom’s ministry of health provides more than 60 percent of healthcare services with the rest shared among government agencies as well as the private sector (Almaki, Fitzgerald & Clark, 2011). According to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (2009) in 1970, the country had 74 healthcare facilities with around 9,000 beds. By 2005, the country had 350 health care facilities with at least 48,000 beds, with the ministry of health operating 62 percent of the hospitals and another 53 percent of the clinics. The government agencies like the ministry healthcare facilities (which comprise of the Saudi Arabian National Guard and the ministry of defence and aviation), ministry of interior and private entities operate the remaining facilities. This paper explores the role of different health organizations in provision of quality health care in Saudi Arabia.
A Table Showing Different Health Organizations in Saudi Arabia
1 | King Saud Medical City |
Background Information | The facility was started in October 1956 in Riyadh as a Center for Medicine plus surgery particularly spinal and neurosurgery. Today, it has more than 1,400 beds making it one of the largest hospitals in Saudi Arabia. King Saud Medical City’s emergency department is the busiest in the Kingdom with various emergency and accident cases pouring in for treatment (KSMC, 2018). |
Mission | To provide the highest standard of recreational activities as well as accommodations and for its residents and King Saud Medical City guests. |
Financing | The Public |
Ownership | Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health |
Staffing | The facility boasts of visionary leaders as well as highly qualified medical plus administrative professional who have a shared goal of making the facility a leading tertiary care referral throughout the region. |
Area of treatment | The facility provides emergency care services, a medical library and a medical training center. Moreover, there are maternity plus children tower, outpatient clinics as well as surgical. Furthermore, it has a kidney center that provides all support services and a dental medical center (Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health, 2009). Some of the common specialties are surgery, neurology, dental, orthopedics, cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology as well as pediatrics (KSMC, 2018). |
Impact to Healthcare Structure | As a Ministry of Health’s facility, King Saud Medical City, plays an important role in providing free medical services for all Saudi Arabians. It provides preventive, curative plus rehabilitative healthcare services to Saudis (Albejaidi, 2010). |
2 | King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh |
Background Information | King Abdulaziz Medical City began operating in May 1983 at the central region of the Kingdom. This facility that boasts of 1501 beds began operating in May 1983, and since then it has continued growing while providing health care services to the rapidly increasing patient population in its catchment areas. Today, the Jeddah based King Khalid National Guard hospital is part of King Abdulaziz Medical City. This facility has since its official inauguration in early 2001 grown into a reputable healthcare provider that provides care to both the National Guard soldiers and their dependents (NGHA, 2018). |
Mission | To maintain and provide high standard patient care in primary healthcare, while at the same time providing an optimal working environment (NGHA, 2018). |
Financing | The Public |
Ownership | The Saudi Arabian National Guard |
Staffing | King Abdulaziz Medical City is staffed with highly competent and dedicated medical plus administrative professionals who strive at providing quality patient care to the members of the national guard plus their dependents (NGHA, 2018). |
Area of treatment | Trauma care services, ambulatory care services, primary health care services, surgical and critical services, a surgical intensive care unit, an endoscopy unit, neurosurgical unit, surgical units (NGHA, 2018). |
Impact to Healthcare Structure | In extreme cases, it may offer specialized care services like treatment of diabetes to the general public, which is an advantage to the countries health care structure. However, this facility is specifically designed to serve members of the National guard plus their dependents, which leaves out members of the public who are in serious need to healthcare services (Albejaidi, 2010). |
3 | King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre |
Background Information | Started in 1970, the facility was initially under the Hospital Corporation of America. However, in 1985, the Royal issued a decree that ended the contract with the Hospital Corporation of America; the national government assumed the administration and operational responsibilities. |
Mission | To provide highly specialized healthcare in both an integrated educational as well as research setting, maintains two facilities one in Riyadh and another one on Jeddah (KFSHRC, 2018). |
Financing | The Public |
Ownership | Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health |
Staffing | King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre is a tertiary medical as well as research facility that employs more 7,000 employees from at least 63 countries. The Human Resource Services department the attainment of excellence in the delivery of quality patient care through recruitment of competent as well as exceptional employees. The department is committed to supporting employee needs including employee’s benefits and compensations, travel as well as leave. |
Area of treatment | King Fahad National Center for Children’s Cancer, which offers: Oncology and haematology, Paediatric stem cell transplant, Leukaemia unit and Solid tumour unit The Jeddah facility offers: Oncology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, neuroscience, emergency surgeries, transplants as well as cardiology. Other areas are dentistry, anesthesiology, radiology, and pathology as well as laboratory medicine. |
Impact to Healthcare Structure | This facility plays a major role in providing specialist primary healthcare to the citizens. It specifically provides preventive, curative as well as rehabilitative healthcare services to Saudi Arabians (Albejaidi, 2010). |
4 | Security Forces Hospital |
Background Information | The Security Forces hospital is one of the Kingdom’s oldest as well as continuously expanding health care facilities. With its more than 500 beds, the Security Forces hospital operates under the Western Healthcare standards. The Security Forces Hospital-one in Riyadh and another one in Mecca to serve members of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior including custom collectors as well as police officers and their families (Vital Health News, 2011). |
Mission | To provide safe and high quality health services, through optimal use of resources and teamwork to meet the users needs (Vital Health News, 2011). |
Financing | The Public |
Ownership | Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior |
Staffing | Security Forces Hospital is an employer to some of the best medical practitioners with some coming from as far as North America, Europe, the Middle East plus Asia (Vital Health News, 2011). |
Area of treatment | Cardiac catheterization, dialysis, intensive pediatric care, anesthesia, pediatrics, dentistry, gynecology, women and children, oncology, rehabilitation branches, cardiovascular, neurology plus neuro-musculoskeletal (Relox, 2013). |
Impact to Healthcare Structure | Like other state agency owned healthcare facilities, the Security Forces Hospital may, in extreme situations, offer specialized healthcare services to the general public. This is a plus to the health care structure. However, it does not extend services to other members of the public even if they are lacking health care services (Albejaidi, 2010). |
5 | Prince Sultan Military Medical City |
Background Information | Formerly referred to as Riyadh Military hospital, Prince Sultan Military Medical City was opened its main facility in Riyadh in 1978 with more than 380 beds. Since then, the facility is growing each and every year as evidenced by its more than 1,200 beds. It offers healthcare services to Saudi Arabia’s members of armed forces alongside their family members (Al Nasser, 2017). |
Mission | To provision of best quality healthcare service for its patients by meeting the patient’s expectations. Other areas include: full commitment to continuous quality improvement, provision of optimal support to workers through effective training, improvement of the management operations efficiency as well as maintaining a culture of continuous improvement working culture (PSMMC, 2018). |
Financing | The Public |
Ownership | Ministry of Defence and Aviation |
Staffing | The hospital has more than 12,000 employees including 1,400 medical practitioners with different as well as advanced specialties (PSMMC, 2018). |
Area of treatment | Vascular surgery, urology, pediatric surgery, oncology, radiology as well as diagnostic imaging, psychiatry and otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery. Other areas are nursing, ophthalmology, neurosciences, medical records, medical physics plus bioengineering, medical imaging, renal diseases, internal medicine, diabetes, anesthesia, intensive care unit and hematology. Also available are general surgery, gastroenterology, anesthesiology, orthopedics, pediatrics, dentistry, accident and emergency as well as family plus community medicine (PSMMC, 2018). |
Impact to Healthcare Structure | It may in extreme cases, like during emergencies, play an important role in providing primary care services to the general. This is an advantage to the country’s health care structure. However, it does not serve members of the adjoining communities even if they lack healthcare services (Albejaidi, 2010). |
Conclusion
This paper explored the structure of Saudi Arabia’s healthcare system. In particular, it discussed the various health organizations involved in provision of health care services in the country. Clearly, the Ministry of Health plays the leading role in providing health care services through various primary health care services like the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre and the King Saud Medical City. Apart from the Ministry of Health, there are other government agencies that provide health care services. For instance, the Saudi Arabian National Guard owns the King Abdulaziz Medical City, while the Ministry of Interior Security Forces Hospital. The Ministry of Defence and Aviation owns the Prince Sultan Military Medical City. These agencies are independent as they have their budgetary allocations, recruit their own staff and oversee the management as well as administration of their facilities.
References
Albejaidi, F. M. (2010). Healthcare system in Saudi Arabia: An analysis of structure, total quality management and future challenges. Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences, 2(2), 794-818.
Al Nasser, H. (2017). Assessment of telemedicine by physician at Prince Sultan Military Medical City. Journal of Nutrition and Human Health, 1(1), 1-10.
Almaki, M., Fitzgerald, G., & Clark, M. (2011). Health care system in Saudi Arabia: An overview. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 17(10), 784-793.
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. (2018). King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. Retrieved from. https://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/en/home/hospitals/jeddah
Ministry of Health. (2009). Health statistical year book. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Government Printing Press
National Guard Health Affairs. (2018). Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of National Guard health affairs: King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh. Retrieved from. http://ngha.med.sa/English/MedicalCities/AlRiyadh/Pages/default.aspx
Prince Sultan Military Medical City. (2018). Prince Sultan Military Medical City. Retrieved from. http://www.psmmc.med.sa/EN/Aboutus/MedSpec/Pages/VascularSurgery.aspx
Relox, A. P. (2013, October 13). Security forces hospital upgraded. Arab News. Retrieved from. http://www.arabnews.com/news/467637
Vital Health News. (2011, June 06). Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia implements vital for diabetes. Vital Health News. Retrieved from. https://www.vitalhealthsoftware.com/news/2011/06/15/security-forces-hospital-riyadh- saudi-arabia-implements-vital-for-diabetes