Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah announced on Monday that Saudi Arabia’s health sector is the largest in the Middle East with a spending of over SR150 billion.

 

Inaugurating the Global Health Congress with the theme of “Embracing the future” at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, Al-Rabiah said that the ministry has launched ambitious health plans to restructure and reform the health system in a way meeting the potential challenges.

 

He said that the major challenges facing the Kingdom’s health sector include the steady rise in the cost of health services, the scarcity of health staff, the demographic change of the population, the aging population, and the rising cases of chronic diseases. According to the minister, the challenges in the health sector are similar to those of other countries represented in financial sustainability in view of a number of challenges.

 

Al-Rabiah said that the institutional transformation, aimed at restoring health sector governance and separation of health services from one another, is the major reform being embarked on by the ministry.

 

“This will enable the ministry to focus on its fundamental role in formulating policies and legislations as well as to enact laws and regulations to guarantee the quality and standard of the health services. The governance initiatives are a key pillar in this regard,” he said.

 

The major pathways for restructuring and reforming the health system are enhancing the concepts of public health, preventive health, adoption of healthy food patterns, in addition to upgrading the level of health services and adopting a culture of competition, transparency and performance indexes, the minister said adding that as many as 72 hospitals from various regions the Kingdom have been picked to implement this restructuring and reform program.

 

Al-Rabiah also opened an exhibition being held on the sidelines of the Congress. The three-day Congress is attended by delegates representing 25 countries as well as local and international decision-makers in the development of the healthcare sector in addition to investors, distributors, medical device manufacturers, doctors, hospital managers and healthcare providers.

 

The Congress hosts more than 135 exhibitors from Saudi, regional and international companies to showcase the latest advances in health services and medical device technologies to more than 8,000 trade and health professionals.

 

The exhibition also features eight educational contents and free-to-attend workshops delivered through renowned global speakers.

 

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