Helath Care in Saudi Arabia

Health

LOOKING AT HEALTH CARE
Saudi Arabia has set high standards in the field of health care. One of the first initiatives of King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, was to improve health care facilities for pilgrims to Mecca. The government also decided to furnish free medical treatment to all citizens and to pilgrims who travel to Mecca. Each administrative district has set up at least two medical facilities.
http://www.settlement.org/cp/english/arabia/health.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Arabia - Constitution / Adopted by Royal decree of King Fahd Oct 1993
Article 31 [Health Care]
The state takes care of health issues and provides health care for each citizen.
http://www.oefre.unibe.ch/law/icl/sa00000_.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HEALTH
Saudi Arabia has committed vast resources (US$16.4 billion in the years 1985 to 1990) to improving medical care for its citizens, with the ultimate goal of providing free medical care for everyone in the kingdom.

In 1990 the number of hospitals operated by the government and the private sector together stood at 258, with a capacity of 36,099 beds. Of these hospitals, 163 were run by the Ministry of Health and sixty-four by the private sector. In addition, other government agencies, such as the national guard, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Defense and Aviation, operated hospitals and clinics for their staffs and families.

Compulsory immunization of infants and young children and the introduction in 1986 of an epidemic control system to facilitate communication on outbreaks of communicable diseases have contributed to the successful eradication of these diseases. Poliomyelitis, however, has persisted, and the Ministry of Health has set a target date of the year 2000 to eliminate the disease.
Trachoma was considered one of the main causes of blindness in the kingdom despite programs designed to combat the disease.
http://countrystudies.us/saudi-arabia/32.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HEALTH CARE IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
The government of Saudi Arabia continues to provide massive support to existing as well as new projects in order to see that health services are accessible to all people at all levels of care - primary, secondary, and tertiary.
http://www.ihrcanada.com/countries/saudi/health.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SOCIAL ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN SAUDI ARABIA HEALTH

Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
The Ministry of Health (MOH) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which takes charge of health care and hospitals, has made progress in most health and environmental areas listed in Agenda 21.
http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/saudi/social.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Arabia Health & Medical Links http://www.the-saudi.net/links/health-links.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saudi German Hospitals Group is considered the largest private Healthcare company in the MENA region (Middle East & North Africa). The group is a multi functional Healthcare company which is considered a Healthcare developer and not just an operator. It constructs its own hospitals (1000 Construction staff) and finances its developments with the support of local Government and development Banks.
http://www.sghgsite.com/def.asp

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even in remote parts of the kingdom we have medical & handicap equipment, this one in Buraydah of the central region.

http://www.ote-sa.com/asp-bin/loc_e_bd.asp

Arabian Medical Products Manufacturing Company
The Olayan Group: Arabian Medical Products Manufacturing Company, known as ENAYAH, is the manufacturer in Saudi Arabia of Kimberly-Clark disposable health care products specially designed for the surgical arts.
Today, The Olayan Group is both a leading diversified Saudi enterprise and a major participant in the field of global investing.

http://www.olayan.com/group.asp?groupid=20&catid=6

Read about Lubna Olayan, the executive of the Olayan Financing Co.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emerging issues in health planning in Saudi Arabia: the effects of organization and development on the health care system. by Berhie G.

King Saud University, College of Administrative Sciences, Riyadh.

The proliferation of government health delivery system in both the public and private sectors within a short period of time has brought into focus several health planning issues:

co-ordination of health information systems

the need for establishing a national health planning body

the need for developing and establishing an accreditation agency such as The Joint Commission of Accreditation of American Hospitals (JCAH)

an acute shortage of trained manpower

reconsideration of option in financing health care

and reorganization of the Ministry of Health.

These and other issues which seem paramount for 1990 and beyond are discussed in this paper. The challenge for health planners is to confront these health policy issues so as to improve upon the already tremendous achievements of the health delivery system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1948173&dopt=Abstract

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where my daughter earned her medical degree.

King Abdulaziz University Hospital -- It is the mission of the King Abdulaziz University Hospital and of the Outpatient Facilities to provide a spectrum of tertiary health care services of highly professional quality to the community as far as basically needful for a modern, comprehensive and thorough medical education of students of medicine, nursing and medical technology comprising the acquisition of sound hands-on experience.
Besides the health care services to patients and the teaching and training of students, a third (3rd) part of the mission, equivalent in value and importance, is directed to scientific research activities which are of a standard for publication in scientific journals or during seminars/congresses and/or are suitable for ongoing joint research work together with institutions of other universities.
http://www.kaau.edu.sa/hospital/mission.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Jeddah Institute for Speech and Hearing (JISH) is a not-for-profit institution, devoted solely to speech-language and hearing service delivery.

It is the first facility of its kind in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Institute was established in 1993, in the city of Jeddah to improve the well-being of people living in Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries by providing premium services for two of the most cherished human faculties: speech/language and hearing.

http://www.jish.com/home.asp?s=about

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PRINCE SULTAN CARDIAC CENTER
Ministry of Defense& Aviation Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
http://www.ihrcanada.com/hospital/saudi/pscc.htm

Today, the Prince Sultan Cardiac Center provides a major portion of the cardiac services for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through a full range of diagnostic and management facilities for patients ranging in age from the neonate to the elderly. The institution has an excellent reputation, both in the Middle East and West for the quality of patient care provided, and for the research papers published in most reputable journals. In 1986 the cardiac transplant program started.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KING KHALED EYE SPECIALIST HOSPITAL

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH) is the largest - and most widely respected - facility of its kind in the Middle East.
Opened in 1982 as a joint venture, KKESH provides treatment for a bread spectrum of eye ailments. Among the services offered by the hospital are cataract surgery, corneal grafting, optometry, clinical, psychophysical and electrophysical laboratories, ultrasonography and pharmacies. An average of 500 patients per day are seen in the out-patient clinic. http://www.ihrcanada.com/hospital/saudi/kkesh.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Canter began in March 2000, due to the generous gift of The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz. It was his wish to provide outstanding medical services to the people of the Western region. This luxurious tertiary care hospital is located in the prestigious Al-Rawdah district, only a few minutes away from the King Abdulaziz International airport. It occupies 80,000 square meters with a capacity of 460 bed.

http://www.ihrcanada.com/hospital/saudi/kfsh_rc.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

King Fahad National Guard Hospital

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) provides health care of the National Guard forces, their dependents, civilian employees and their dependents.
SANG hospitals are located in the three major population centers: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran/Dammam. SANG hospitals employ approximately 40% Western qualified medical staff and are operated to Western standards. The hospital project includes two Medical Cities which provide housing and support for the hospital staff. The hospital will eventually consist of a 600 bed acute and tertiary medical care center providing health care service to SANG employees and their dependents. At the present time, approximately 525 beds are in active use.

http://www.ihrcanada.com/hospital/saudi/kfngh.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

King Fahad Military Hospital Jeddah, Saudi Arabia / The King Fahad Military Hospital in Jeddah is considered one of flagship facilities in the Kingdom. It is located West of Jeddah, at the end of Tahliya Street by the Red Sea, approximately 25 kilometers from the city center and is easily accessible to the general population as well as to accident victims requiring immediate emergency care. http://www.ihrcanada.com/hospital/saudi/kfmh.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Palliative Care in Saudi Arabia: A Brief History

Alan Nixon MD, Palliative Care Consultant, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
Abstract:
The palliative care service started at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia over a decade ago by Dr. Isbister is slowly expanding. Excellent facilities for investigations and curative treatment are available in the hospital, and these are useful when supportive facilities are needed. Nevertheless, there are problems. Most of the staff is western, and this is a hindrance when psychosocial and spiritual support is needed by Saudi patients. Patients have poor facilities for follow-up in between outpatient visits every month. The team has overcome the problem of poor availability of opioids, but these essential drugs are not available to the patients at the national level. Educational and research services have begun.
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?sid=QPUD91T87X038JK34GT5TG44WG9S2G8E&ID=41402

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Family Practice Vol. 19, No. 5, 537-542 � Oxford University Press 2002 / by Lubna A Al-Ansary and Tawfik A Khoja
Objectives. Our aim was to explore the awareness and the attitude of primary health care physicians (PHCPs) towards evidence-based medicine (EBM) and determine their related educational needs.
http://fampra.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/19/5/537

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 1, 1994, Volume 12, Issue 01 / Chiropractic Flourishes in Saudi Arabia
Dr. Moscos was overwhelmed with requests for chiropractic by the general public, and a clinic was established. The practice of chiropractic was legally instituted by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health on January 27, 1992; legislation is pending. http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/12/01/17.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Arabia: Thursday, January 27 - 2005 / Saudi students aid at haj
A group of female Saudi medical students volunteered their time during the Haj to assist health authorities. The students carried out basic first aid, freeing up professional emergency workers for more serious cases. Organisers plan to expand the programme in future years, giving students a chance to provide services in their field of specialisation under direct medical supervision. http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/52782.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

http://www.ihrcanada.com/hospital/saudi/kfsh_rc.htm

RECREATION SERVICES FOR EMPLOYEES
Staff recreation services offer a limited leisure time activities for project employees and their families. Facilities available for use are mostly swimming pools. However, due to the nature of Jeddah, a wide variety of leisure activities are available through clubs.
Also have Health Club that is modern and one of the elite fitness facilities in Jeddah. It has a full range of exercise machines, Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and swimming pool.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Health & Fitness club for women, in Jeddah

http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/50936/#TL