Rabeah, Minister of Health, has said his ministry accepts criticism directed at it and that the health sector is “in touch with the public and takes on board all opinions”. “The ministry has a clear plan and projects for change that will please the public,” he said. “Development takes a long time, not just in health organizations but also in staff.” Speaking at the launch of a symposium on the ministry's health services Tuesday, Al-Rabeah said that its future plans and programs would be welcomed by patients, and that the national project for comprehensive healthcare would achieve a number of targets once it has been approved. “That includes the full and fair distribution of services and quality, ease of access, the introduction of clear standards of services and their distribution according to global standards,” he said. “The ministry has health projects in all regions of the country to achieve the highest standards of healthcare, and the patient and the provision of the necessary staff are at the center of our strategy.” The minister said a number of changes had already been introduced, including projects concerning quality administration, family management, one-day surgery, patient rights, while a program to assess satisfaction and technological and administrative development programs are expected to be launched soon. “Healthcare faces a number of challenges, such as specialized staff, the length of time required to carry out programs, and the rise in costs of healthcare and serious illnesses and other areas,” he said. The symposium, entitled “Reality and Future Aspirations of Services Offered by the Ministry of Health”, was held by the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) to look at areas related to public satisfaction, the implementation of quality standards and their impact on improving standards at hospitals. Abdul Rahman Al-Shaqawi, Director General, of the IPA, said the institute would be offering 669 training programs for some 16,000 members of staff from the Ministry of Health. “The health sector is an extremely important issue that affects society, particularly given that nine percent of the Kingdom's national income is spent on it,” Al-Shaqawi said. “Despite the considerable efforts of the state to improve the sector, studies show that users are not satisfied with the services throughout the wait period or with other areas. Problems for the sector are posed by population growth, the cost of services and technological advancement and specialized staff. We hope the symposium can produce recommendations satisfactory to everyone.” An IPA study puts public satisfaction with Ministry of Health hospitals at 70 percent, with users in the Eastern Province more satisfied with their services than those in Riyadh, Makkah and Madina. Satisfaction with external clinics was registered at 68 percent. Users complained of a lack of parking facilities while waiting to see to doctors or for appointments, and poor bathroom facilities, access to medicines and waiting rooms. A study conducted by the King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue revealed that 67 percent of Saudis expressed the belief that services were confined to specific areas while 66 percent said they had difficulty accessing treatment at government hospitals. 70 percent said they instead turn to the private sector, despite 83 percent of those asked believing that private hospitals and clinics are overpriced. The study also found that 78 percent of people feel the health sector is prone to medical errors.
