The Health in Saudi Arabia

When I was in primary school, I had a classmate that was also my friend at that time. He was suffering from a rare disease. I still remember my parents said that his disease was curable. His family could not admit him because they needed to know someone who has a relation or relative with the managers in that hospital or royal contact. He died before his parent’s effort to find someone succeeded. Twenty years before, Saudi Arabia had a shortage of the necessary needs. These days, it is a semi-developed country. It has many aspects of the first world countries such as an excellent health care. Health care in Saudi Arabia between the past and the present has an enormous stride. In the middle of the twentieth century, the health services of Saudi Arabia started with limited resources and very small clinics. After few years, only meant inaugurating the compulsory structure of hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, and research facilities, and necessary hiring expatriate staff to work in the health services and encouraging Saudis to engage in the healthcare field. In 1926, the first school of nursing was opened and followed by the school of health and emergencies in 1927. (NCBI, 2003). (MOH) The Saudi Ministry of Health and the private sector are the main infrastructures for health in Saudi Arabia. The current situation that MOH provides around 60% of the health services. In 1998, the budget of the MOH reached over 12000 million SR (1 $= 3.75 SR). In 2014, it reached more than 53000 million (MOH, 2014). According to NCBI, in 2005, health insurance was made required for all immigrants who are working in the country under CHI (The Cooperative Health Insurance). In 2008, this act was extended to include Saudi nationals working in the private