Open AccessThe Saudi Healthcare System: A View from the Minaret
Author(s) -
Amir A. Khaliq
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
world health and population
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.109
H-Index - 14
eISSN - 1929-6541
pISSN - 1718-3340
DOI - 10.12927/whp.2012.22875
Subject(s) - health care , business , government (linguistics) , context (archaeology) , private sector , public sector , economic growth , economics , economy , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , biology
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.