Overview:
The system on the rights of persons with disabilities has guaranteed protection and promotion of their rights and the rights to access all services on an equal basis with others, as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has become a party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol since 2008, which is one of the main United Nations human rights conventions.
The healthcare system in KSA:
The Kingdom's healthcare system can be classified as a national system for providing free healthcare services to citizens through several government agencies. Currently, there is a growing role and increased participation by the private sector in providing healthcare services. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is primarily responsible for supervising healthcare services and hospitals in the public and private sectors and providing the comprehensive health coverage system.
The right of persons with disabilities to healthcare services:
A person with a disability has the right to access healthcare services, including:
- Preventive, curative, medical rehabilitation, general health care, home care, and other health services according to medical requirements of each disability.
- Examination and diagnosis services, health registration, and medical reports.
- Reproductive health services, early disability detection programs, and ensuring the availability of programs and services that prevent worsening of a diagnosed disability.
- Inclusion of the requirements of persons with disabilities in services - health programs - drug and nutritional information - health policies, strategies, plans and related programs.
- Abolition of any discriminatory requirements that prevent persons with disabilities from obtaining the full right to medical and rehabilitation care and assistive devices from medical insurance companies.
Disability:
Every person who has a long-term disorder or deficiency in physical, mental, mental, sensory, or psychological functions that may prevent him - when dealing with various challenges - from participating fully and effectively in society on an equal basis with others.
Prevention:
A set of medical, psychological, social, educational, informational, and regulatory measures that aim at preventing or reducing disability, detecting it early, and minimizing its effects.
Care:
Comprehensive care services provided to every person with disabilities who need care by virtue of their health condition and degree of disability, or according to their social status.
Rehabilitation:
The process of dedicating medical, social, psychological, educational, vocational, and environmental services to help a person with a disability to achieve the maximum possible degree of effectiveness, to enable him to conform to the requirements of his natural and social environment, to develop his abilities to rely on himself, and to make him an active member of society whenever possible.
The Ministry of Health’s efforts to care for persons with disabilities.
Preventive services for persons with disabilities:
Therapeutic services for persons with disabilities:
Facilities for obtaining the service:
Facilitating access to health services through:
Service Purchase:
If the service or treatment is not available in government sector hospitals, referrals are made outside the Ministry’s scope by purchasing the service from private sector hospitals.
Universal urban accessibility: Facilitating access for persons with disabilities to all health facilities easily and safely.
Digital services:
Initiatives: