Running head: HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA 1

Different Types of Healthcare Organizations in Saudi Arabia

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation
HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA 2

Different Types of Healthcare Organizations in Saudi Arabia

Introduction

The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) is the major provider of healthcare facilities and

services accounting for 60%, representing 240 hospitals and 2000 primary healthcare centers,

while the rest is shared amongst government agencies and private sectors. The health sector has

grown from an annual budget allocation of 5.9% in 2006 to 7.0% in 2014 of the total government

expenditure (Al-Hanawi, Alsharqi, Almazrou, & Vaidya, 2018). The five types of healthcare

organizations are;

Financing and Ownership

TYPE OF HEALTHCARE FINANCING OWNERSHIP AND

ORGANIZATION SPECIALIZATION

1. Ministry of Health The Ministry is wholly The government owns and

financed by the government controls all public hospitals

in running public hospitals They include King Fahd

with an annual budgetary Medical City with a 1200-bed

allocation of USD 26.4 capacity and the 1500-bed

Billion in 2012, a King Saud Medical City in

representation of 85% of the Riyadh. King Khaled Medical

total healthcare expenditure city which is under

amongst healthcare providers. construction at a budget of

In 2014, the budget rose to USD 1.2 Billion is estimated

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA 3

USD 28 Billion. Besides the to provide 1500-bed spaces

allocations, King Salman bin inclusive of an international

Abdulaziz donated USD 4.2 medical academy and

Billion in March 2011 to Research Centre. 1350-bed

build and expand the existing King Abdullah center in

health facilities (Shujauddin, Mecca (Shujauddin, 2014).

2014).

2. Military Hospitals They are financed by the They serve Saudi Arabian

government through the armed forces and their

Ministry of Defense. immediate families. The two

branches are; the Saudi

Arabian Ministry of Defense

and Aviation which provides

services to the army, air force

and navy personnel involved

in external security and their

dependents. An example is;

Prince Sultan Military

Medical Centre. Saudi

Arabian National Guard

(SANG) serves military

personnel involved in internal

security and their families

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA 4

such as King Abdulaziz

Medical City.

3. Ministry of Interior Financed by the Ministry of Owned by the government

Interior to offer medical through the Ministry of

services to police and Interior namely Security

customs officers. Forces Hospital in Mecca and

Riyadh.

4. Referral Hospitals They offer specialized Government ownership

services not available in other through public hospitals,

public institutions like eye community and public health

care, chronic diseases and which include, King Khalid

psychiatric illnesses. Eye Specialist Hospital in

Financed by the government Riyadh, King Faisal

through state departments of Specialist and Research

health. Centre and Sultan Bin

Abdulaziz Humanitarian City.

5. Private Hospitals.

(a) Private Hospitals for Private Individuals and The sector is dominated by

Profit Companies have set-up family-owned companies

private hospitals and clinics which serve the commercial

to supplement the and industrial sectors. Their

government health care and target market is the large

maximum on profits. number of expatriates

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA 5

working in the country.

Examples are; Saudi German

Hospital and Aldara Hospital.

(b) Private facilities They are set up by specific Companies owned and

servicing a company’s companies to offer services to operated hospitals include

employee their employees and financing Saudi Aramco Hospital which

is solely by the parent serves employees and family

company of ARAMCO Oil Corporation

and Royal Commission

Hospital for Industrial cities’

employees.

Staff Information, Mission Statement and Objectives.

TYPE OF HEALTHCARE STAFF INFORMATION MISSION STATEMENT

ORGANIZATION

1. Ministry of Health The government has a total of The Ministry of Health is

224 Hospitals with a capacity responsible for the

of 33,237 beds and 2037 management, planning and

primary healthcare facilities formulation of health policies

The healthcare sector has and regulations of the private

employed 248,000 medical sector. The government is

care specialists of which also mandated with the

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA 6

approximately 125,000 are achievement of the national

men. In the MOH Saudis are health objective.

54% whereas the rest are

foreigners. Physicians

constitute 22.3% and nurses

are 50.3% (Alraga, 2017).

2. Military Hospitals According to the MOH To offer preventive and

statistics, Riyadh military therapeutic services to armed

facility has a capacity of 1192 forces and their dependents in

beds and a collective staff of peace and war.

7179.

3. Ministry of Interior Saudis constitute 38% of all To offer quality healthcare to

national healthcare sector civil servants and the public.

while the rest are foreigners.

Of these, nurses make up for

32.3% and 23.1% are

physicians (Alraga, 2017).

4. Referral Hospitals 12,988 Physicians and 25,880 They supplement the

nurses operate in allied government in the provision

government facilities of specialized healthcare such

according to the MOH data. as orthopedics, dentists,

pediatricians and

psychiatrists.
HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA 7

5. Private Hospitals They operate mainly in large They are established to either

(Private and Company cities and towns with 125 maximize profits or offer

owned) hospitals and 2218 affordable quality health care

dispensaries with a bed- services to a company’s

capacity of 11,833 (Alraga, employees.

2017). Physicians comprise

of 4.5% and nurses 5.8% of

the total healthcare providers

(Ministry of Health Statistics)

Advantages and Disadvantages

TYPE OF HEALTHCARE ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

ORGANIZATION

1. Ministry of Health Provision of free medical care The service in public

to all citizens which has facilities is under strain

increased in funding from despite the budgetary

5.9% in 2006 to 7.0% in 2014 allocations due to an

of the total budget leading to increase in the general

an improvement in healthcare population, emergent of new

services (Al-Hanawi, lifestyle diseases, an aging

Alsharqi, Almazrou, & population and global rise in

Vaidya, 2018). the cost of living.

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA 8

Introduction of an Electronic Lack of qualified staff due to

Patient Record System (ERP) the migration of doctors and

technology has facilitated the nurses to western nations to

efficient provision of services acquire better training

(Khalifa, 2013). facilities and job

opportunities.

2. Military Offer free services since they Limited to members of the

are financed by the armed forces and their

government. families.

3. Ministries Free modern equipment and Congestions due to an

services. . increase in population.

4. Referral Hospitals Offer specialized services not They are limited in number.

available in other public

facilities like eye care.

5. Private Hospitals. They are profit-driven which Since they are profit-driven,

ensures the provision of most are expensive therefore

quality services. Fast service offering services to wealthy

delivery is guaranteed since clients. Most privates offer

there are no waiting queues. insurance policies that cover

No specified visiting hours. only short-term illnesses and

injuries.
HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA 9

Conclusion

The ministry provides health services in three levels namely primary, secondary and

tertiary levels. Primary handles minor cases involving curative and preventive measures whereas

advanced and specialized forms are handled at the secondary and tertiary respectively. The

advancement of medical technology in Saudi Arabia has both improved the quality of life. The

citizens in an effort to seek the best healthcare providers feel that the government need to

introduce a national health insurance policy to finance the high cost of treatment. Despite the

government’s effort to advance the public facilities, there are challenges crippling the quality of

services such as limited human resource development, adoption of a nationwide insurance cover,

chronic lifestyle diseases and establishment of an effective national health online and e-health

system. This can be achieved by integration of a national healthcare strategy amongst all

stakeholders under the Ministry of Health.

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA 10

References

Al-Hanawi, M.K., Alsharqi, O., Al-Mazrou, S., & Vaidya, K. (2018). Healthcare finance in the

kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A qualitative study of householder’s attitudes. Applied Health

Economics and Health Policy, 16(10), 55-54.

Alkadi, S.H. (2015). The healthcare system in Saudi Arabia and its challenges. The case of

diabetes care health pathway. Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries,

10(1).

Alraga, S. (2017). Research Article: Comparative analysis of three different health systems

Australian, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. Quality in Primary Care, 25(2), 94-100.

Health indicators for the year of 1413H: Ministry of Health. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. General

Directorate of Statistics. Retrieved from,

https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/Statistics/Indicator/Pages/Indicator-2012-01-10-

0001.aspx/

Khalifa, M. (MD). (2013). Barriers to health information systems and electronic medical records

implementation. A field study of Saudi Arabian hospitals. Procedia Computer Science,

21, 335-342. doi: 10.1016/j.procs.2013.09.044

Shujauddin, M. (2014). Saudi Arabia health care market overview. U.S Commercial Service.

Discover Global Markets. Business Forum Series. Retrieved from,

https://build.export.gov/build/groups/public/@eg_us_mn/documents/webcontent/eg_us_

mn_080855.pdf