Healthcare in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
The
Saudi Health Care Law (Available only in Arabic) provides for comprehensive, integrated health care to all residents, in a fair and accessible way. And the Ministry of Health (MOH) provides an integrated network of health care services covering all regions of the Kingdom. MOH, in cooperation with the district councils, determines the locations, levels and need for these services, according to the geographical and demographic patterns of diseases prevailing in the region. Moreover, the Ministry provides health care services in its medical facilities to citizens free of charge, according to the
National Transformation Program in the health sector, which works to meet the sector’s needs.
Health Facilities in the Kingdom:
All citizens and residents benefit from the health care services provided by MOH. Visitors also benefit from these services during the Hajj and Umrah seasons through the
network of health facilities, system which include medical cities, specialist hospitals, and primary care centers.
Patient Rights and Responsibilities:
Out of MOH’s belief in patients’ right to be empowered and involved in decisions that support and improve the services provided to them, it pays thorough attention to clarify patients' rights and responsibilities towards health facilities in the
Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities (Available only in Arabic). This takes place in cooperation with the concerned bodies in the field of health care services, taking into consideration the human, social, and national rights and duties guaranteed by the law for individuals. The aim is to improve the level of services provided, increase patients' confidence in health facilities, and solidify the health and humanitarian bonds of service providers and recipients at all levels. MOH has also provided patients with
complaint forms to file when suffering negligence while receiving health services.
Maternal and Child Health:
MOH pays thorough attention to Article 4 of the
Saudi Health Care Law (Available only in Arabic) on maternal and child health as well as immunization programs, by providing important educational information and health services in the maternity and child care sections in its health facilities. The aim of that is to achieve the highest levels of satisfaction in the target groups and their families. These educational guidelines and services ensure that families have more satisfactory and safer marital lives. These guidelines also shed light on the importance of reproductive health through obtaining a safe pregnancy and childbirth period to ensure the health of both the mother and child. Services related to maternal and child health care include:
A
Premarital Screening is an examination performed on those who are about to get married, to find out if they have some hereditary blood diseases or infectious diseases. This process aims to give couples that are about to get married medical advice about the possibility of transmitting these diseases to each other party or their future children. It also provides options and alternatives to the engaged couple in order to help them plan a healthy family. The services also include periodic maternal screenings for the
early detection of breast cancer, and
locations of early breast cancer screening clinics.
MOH has devised the
Mother and Child Health Passport System, which is concerned with the health of mother and child. It keeps record of their illness history, monitors and follows up on their health status, and requires necessary examinations and analyses. All of this is then documented in the passport to be used in health centers, becoming the first reference for the health of the mothers and children. The passport aims to provide integrated health care, safe pregnancy, a healthy childhood and a happy family.
Within the framework of the efforts carried out by MOH to maintain the health of children in the Kingdom, and protect them and the community groups of diseases, it established the
Vaccination Reminder Service to remind parents of the deadlines of the basic vaccinations against diseases targeted by immunization according to the MOH new vaccinations schedule. This is done by sending a reminder of the vaccination date in a mobile phone message or an e-mail a week before the date. MOH has also given attention to safe child feeding and has established the
Breast Milk Substitutes Marketing Law, and its implementing regulations. This law aims to provide safe and appropriate nutrition for infants by protecting and promoting breastfeeding and ensuring the correct use of appropriate milk substitutes when needed, using awareness and proper marketing and distribution methods.
The Services provided:
- «Sehhaty» Platform: It is MOH's unified platform that provides several health services to all individuals; in terms of reviewing their health data, as well as achieving an integrated health strategy; thus leading to a vibrant and healthy society. Also, the platform provides users in the Kingdom with a wide range of health services to facilitate the provision of integrated healthcare services to individuals.
- Children Vaccination Reminder Service.
- 937-Service : It provides medical consultations via voice call.
Where are the services provided?