Specialist doctors estimate that the cost of treating one swine flu (H1N1) patient in the Kingdom could reach SR28,000 per week and that it could be higher or lower depending on the complications that occur due to the virus. King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has ordered that all swine flu cases be treated at the expense of the state in all regions of the country, and Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeah, Minister of Health, has confirmed that the Kingdom's hospitals have started carrying out these orders. He also said that swine flu cases may be treated in private hospitals as well as government hospitals, adding that the ministry has ordered four million doses of swine flu vaccine. The minister said the spread of the disease in the country is under control, as the number of reported cases in the Kingdom is within the normal range as compared to other countries of the world. Dr. Ibrahim Amer, Administrative Director in a private hospital, said, “The cost of treating a swine flu patient differs from one case to another. The cost for an ordinary case that is diagnosed by a H1N1 test starts from SR700 including checkup fees. The patient is given treatment and advised to remain in total isolation at home and preventive measures are explained to his family members.” As to cases that require intensive care, Amer said that the cost of treatment can reach SR4,000 per night because of the need of a special respirator and a specialist team. Dr. Muhammad Abdul Rahman Halwani, Consultant and Director of the Anti-Contagion and Sterilization Administration in Jeddah Health Department, said the cost of treating swine flu differs from one case to another and from one hospital to another, but the analysis cost is on average SR500 excluding the checkup fee. He attributed this to the use of high microbiology technology that can give detailed and speedy results. Halwani added that if the patient has severe complications, the cost rises tremendously and can exceed several thousand riyals as the patient will need to be accommodated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and be treated for complications including lung failure, which requires close monitoring. Dr. Khalid Obeid Bawakid, consultant in Family Medicine in the Jeddah Health Department, said it is impossible to determine the treatment cost for swine flu precisely, as the cost depends on the complications, the degree to which the patient is responding to treatment and whether he needs to be admitted to the ICU. Also, if the patient is suffering from other diseases besides swine flu, this would complicate the matter requiring complex treatment. If, for example, the patient is obese, the swine flu H1N1 virus can cause him to be more susceptible to serious complications increasing the chances of death.
