The Ministry of Health has proposed a new healthcare system that it hopes will be world class. Called Balsam, the system was developed over six-months of research into the healthcare systems of 12 medically advanced countries, said Dr. Hamad Bin Abdullah Al-Mane', Minister of Health. The Balsam proposal has been forwarded to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for approval. The proposed system can be divided into different parts. The first is to merge multiple medical files from various hospitals and maintain only one medical file per citizen. The second is to develop primary health care services that are both preventive and therapeutic. The third is to decentralize administration of hospitals. The fourth is to create a national fund for health services to citizens, which means that the state would bear the cost of insurance policies. And the fifth is to allocate separate budgets for different directorates of health. The Minister praised the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan for their continued support and generous spending towards health services. Development in medical and health facilities has been one of the areas of prime focus in the past few years. The minister released data on development and achievements in the field of Medicine in Saudi Arabia from the past few years. (See box, right)Progress in health care New Hospitals Beds Total no. Year of Hospitals 2005 26 30,317 213 2006 5 30,617 218 2007 7 31,420 225 This year work is in progress for 2008 29 32,420 254 Next Year's work will add on: 2009 19 33,920 273 Health Centers Year No. of Centers 2003 1824 2007 1925 Work in progress this year 2008 150 (new) 2075 (total) Manpower/Saudization 12% increase in staff between 2003 and 2007. 2003 – 134,000 employees 2007 – 152,000 employees 5.2% increase in total Saudi employees from 2003 to 2007, making them 52% of current employees. Saudi Manpower in Nursing 2003 – 32% of total employees were Saudis 2007 – 42% of total employees are Saudis Budget and Spending Regional Laboratories – SR95m Modernization of medical devices and labs – SR70m Provision for Reagents and Solvents – SR230m Basic Immunization programs – SR320m Blood Donors 264,000 blood donors last year 26,000 people donated blood more than 10 times. They were given awards. 500 people donated more than 50 times. They were awarded the Medal of Merit (II degree). WHO has commended and appreciated the Kingdom in the field of laboratories and blood banks. Preventive Medicine • Saudi Arabia aims to be free of measles and polio by the end of this year and the beginning of 2009. • Saudi Arabia has introduced 12 vaccines – even advanced countries have only 11 vaccines. • The effort in preventive medicine targets 41 contagious and non-contagious diseases. • Four new specialist centers to diagnose AIDS infection, taking the total number of such centers now to eight. • 20 clinics for optional advice to those who want confidentiality in AIDS testing. • 36 new centers have been established for tuberculosis. The rate of disease contraction has reduced to 85%. • The Ministry has plans to combat or wipe out Hepatitis (C), Malaria, sugar disease, Bilharzia and Leishmaniasis. • The Ministry is also putting in extra effort to reduce prices of imported and homemade medical drugs. • The Ministry is now developing primary health care by introducing a family medicine and community project universally known as the family doctor scheme. __
