Health services enjoy the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's interest and care, a report says. To mark the 77th anniversary of the National Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health issued a report on the rapid development in the field of health services, making the Kingdom to occupy an advanced ranking among Arab countries in terms of health care systems and health services provision mechanisms. According to the report, the number of hospitals in the Kingdom up to 2006 amounted to 379, an increase of 48 hospitals compared to three years before, including 218 general and specialist hospitals with a bed capacity of 53192, an increase of 6174 beds from 2003. The number of dispensaries increased in 2006 to 1905, private sector hospitals to 123, dispensaries to 1055 and private clinics to 407 in addition to 4476 private pharmacies, the report said. As many as 43348 doctors are joining health utilities in the Kingdom, including 20219 doctors at government hospitals and 9343 at non-government health utilities and 19913 at private sector facilities, the report said adding that 79994 nurses work with Saudi government and private sector hospitals, according to 2006 statistics. --More
