Mobile Medical Clinics in Saudi Arabia

Mobile Medical Clinics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are medically equipped buses designed to provide therapeutic or preventive health services to patients in areas lacking certain healthcare services, such as remote villages or locations requiring medical attention as determined by the Ministry of Health. These mobile clinics are equipped with essential medical facilities, including a laboratory, radiology department, and pharmacy, and are staffed by a comprehensive medical team to deliver primary healthcare services.

The Mobile Medical Clinics Project was launched as part of the Healthcare Reform and Restructuring Initiative in 2017. The first phase began in November 2018 with ten clinics. By 2022, an additional fifty mobile clinics were introduced, bringing the total to sixty mobile clinics distributed across the provinces of Saudi Arabia.

Each mobile medical clinic must be equipped with a storage area for medical supplies, a freshwater source, a washing sink, a restroom, power generators, fire-fighting equipment, a cabinet for emergency medications, a space for maintaining medical records, air conditioning units, an internal lighting system, and external floodlights to illuminate the surrounding area.

Mobile medical clinics in Saudi Arabia provide a range of services, including visual triage, measurement of vital signs, medical check-ups, chronic disease monitoring, well-child health assessments, maternal care, vaccinations, dental services, radiology and ultrasound, laboratory services, and pharmacy services.

The Ministry of Health launched the "100 Mobile Clinics for Smoking Cessation" project across universities, education departments, and health directorates in Saudi Arabia as part of the National Tobacco Control Committee initiative. These clinics provide medical consultations, awareness programs, treatment, follow-up care, and monitoring of smoking cessation outcomes, in addition to enforcing smoking violations within government facilities.

The ministry also introduced two hundred mobile dental clinics across Saudi Arabia to reduce the prevalence of dental cavities among schoolchildren and promote healthy oral and dental hygiene practices.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health utilizes mobile clinic initiatives during awareness campaigns, such as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, to emphasize the importance of early detection.

Mobile medical clinics operate in various provinces of Saudi Arabia, including those provided by Najran Health Cluster, which offers health, treatment, educational, and preventive services to eleven villages and hamlets in the area, benefiting approximately ten thousand people. These clinics are equipped with medical facilities, including an emergency clinic, maternity clinics, well-child clinics, dental clinics, radiology departments, laboratories, and pharmacies. They also offer vaccinations and all services typically available at healthcare centers to locations without such facilities.

These clinics in Makkah al-Mukarramah Health Cluster provide comprehensive services to accompany pilgrims during their movements in the holy sites during the Hajj season. They are fully equipped with essential medical facilities, including a general practitioner clinic for initial patient examinations, a laboratory for sample collection, analysis, and rapid result processing, a radiology clinic, and a pharmacy to supply necessary medications for patients.

The mobile medical clinics and a blood donation vehicle in al-Jawf Health Cluster are equipped with various medical facilities that contribute to delivering healthcare services. These clinics serve as a means of communication with the community to raise awareness about the services provided by the health sector and to facilitate access to healthcare for beneficiaries. They offer a comprehensive range of medical services.

The mobile clinics in Jazan also provide services in various fields, including internal medicine, diabetes, ophthalmology, and dentistry. Additionally, they conduct regular medical campaigns in villages and remote areas lacking medical services, based on a pre-prepared plan.

On April 12, 2018, Aseer Health Cluster announced the launch of the first mobile therapeutic nutrition clinic. This clinic aims to deliver nutritional health and preventive services to patients in remote areas and beyond. The vehicle is equipped with two nutrition clinics, one for men and one for women, fitted with modern equipment and featuring mobile electronic screens for broadcasting educational awareness content. The clinic's objectives include reducing malnutrition and providing medical consultations related to community nutrition and individual health conditions. Its services include tailored nutritional advice based on the individual's health status, along with educational and awareness guidelines to promote public health within the community.

The mobile clinic at Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City was launched on January 19, 2022. Its services cover Riyadh Province and its governorates, with plans to expand to other provinces. The mobile clinic is part of the city's social responsibility programs, aimed at providing necessary medical care to beneficiaries at their locations. It offers free medical services and activates early intervention programs to foster a vibrant society that ensures individual quality of life, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health designated mobile units specifically for administering COVID-19 vaccines. These vehicles were equipped with essential services and designed to facilitate an organized process for beneficiaries. Managed by a team of highly qualified medical professionals, the clinics operated in line with precautionary and preventive measures. Appointments for vaccination were made available through the "Sehhaty" app.

Mobile medical clinics provided healthcare services to peripheral communities without access to health services. In 2021, the clinics served approximately 92,194 beneficiaries. After the addition of more clinics, the number of beneficiaries increased to around 355,858 in 2022. During the first half of 2023, the clinics served approximately 218,685 beneficiaries.