The Ministry of Health is the entity responsible for the healthcare system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. More specifically, it bears the responsibility of providing healthcare to all residents. The ministry was established in 1951.
Establishment of the Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health is one of the eight ministries that were established by a Royal Order before the first Council of Ministers meeting. The current names of these ministries are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services, and the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Health has not undergone any name changes since its establishment, alongside two other ministries: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice.
Organizational structure of the Ministry of Health
The ministry is led by a minister appointed by a Royal Decree who is a member of the Council of Ministers. The minister's responsibilities include chairing several boards of directors, including the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, the Cooperative Health Insurance Council, the Council of Medical Cities and Specialized Hospitals, the Saudi Health Council, and the Council of the Saudi Center for Healthcare Facility Accreditation.
The Ministry of Health operates from its headquarters in the capital, Riyadh, and has branches in all provinces and governorates of the Kingdom. It is the only ministry in the Kingdom that has had twenty-two successive ministers assigned through proxy, delegation, and appointment until 2022.
Hospitals and health centers
The Kingdom's average expenditure from its general budget on the healthcare sector is approximately 10.4 percent. The ministry oversees around 497 government and private hospitals, with a total of 77,224 beds. There are also 2,121 primary healthcare centers, according to the ministry's annual report for 2021.
History of health in the Kingdom
The journey of healthcare in the Kingdom began before the declaration of the unification of the Kingdom by the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. He ordered the establishment of the General Health Directorate in 1925, based in Makkah al-Mukarramah. This was followed by the decision to establish the Directorate of Public Health and Ambulance Services to take care of health and environmental affairs. Additionally, several hospitals and healthcare centers were opened throughout the Kingdom, and regulations were issued to ensure the organized practice of the professions of medicine and pharmacy. Subsequently, a decision was made to establish the General Health Council as the highest supervisory authority for the development of healthcare services and the enhancement of the competence of healthcare professionals.
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