• Economy: Privatization of health and free treatment are strategic

    17/08/2017


       

                 The privatization of the health sector will contribute to the opening of wider fields for the private sector to creat more investments in various areas of the health care system in order to increase the quality and efficiency of providing free treatment for citizens, which is a strategic direction for countries, 20 million citizens across more than 200 hospitals and hundreds of government health centers.

        The report, published by the newspaper "Economy" by the Eastern Chamber of the month of August that the project to transform the health sector from activity depends on the expenditure of the state and under its management to the activity of the private sector will lead to the injection of more investment in infrastructure required by this historic transformation in The sector, which has a capacity of 65,000 beds, will reach 115,000 by 2020 and will require 13,000 beds a year to meet domestic demand for the service, which is expected to reach $ 100 billion by the end of this year. .

        The investment opportunities in the healthcare sector are favorable in the coming period, particularly in X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound and ventilators as well as surgical and anesthesia devices. The Kingdom plans to spend $ 2.1 billion over the next six years on the infrastructure of these devices, increasing its annual spending of $ 180 million to reach $ 250 million by 2020

        The report mentioned that the private health sector currently includes 5 companies listed on the capital market with a total capital of 3.66 billion riyals. The market value is estimated at 26 billion riyals. The total profits of the private sector reached 967 million riyals at the end of last year. On the other hand, the implementation of the privatization project will result in the establishment of a holding company with between 20 and 30 subsidiary companies throughout the Kingdom, overseeing the management and operation of 276 hospitals and 2300 health centers to be separated from the Ministry of Health. , In order to continue the development of free health services for citizens,

        According to the report, insurance companies are the biggest winners of the project. There will be huge progress in the amount of the specialized policies to cover the health service of millions of citizens and residents.

        The report highlighted the government ambition to raise the contribution of the private sector in the national economy from 25% to 35% according to the requirements of Vision 2030 on the one hand and its commitment to guarantee the free treatment of citizens as a strategic direction and witness successive daily developments on the other. Health coverage includes 20 million citizens.

        His Royal Highness Prince Muhammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, said: "The government is committed to guarantee free treatment for citizens, but this time through the state's commitment to a medical insurance policy that makes the citizen choose the hospital he wishes to create competitive In hospitals for the sake of citizens and make corruption much less at a time will improve health performance, He pointed that the countries that are successful in the global health services, where the health sector is dedicated, as all hospitals either private or non profit sector.

        The report mentioned His Excellency Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah as saying that the transition in the health sector was based on a careful study of the successful international experiences in the health sector and that it will be gradually achieved because the transformation process requires a change in many policies, procedures and regulations. This shift will lead to the development and maintenance of health sector employees, pointing that this transformation will make a qualitative leap in the quality and speed of free health service and focuses on enhancing the health of citizens and preventing them from diseases. "

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