Saudi health minister: Rented medical facilities will not exist in 6 years

Saudi health minister: Rented medical facilities will not exist in 6 years
Updated 17 November 2017
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Saudi health minister: Rented medical facilities will not exist in 6 years

Saudi health minister: Rented medical facilities will not exist in 6 years

RIYADH: Minister of Health Tawfiq Al-Rabiah confirmed the ministry’s desire to provide distinguished health services and expected that all rented centers will not be exist in six years.

This will be a major focus in the development of health services during the coming period.

Dr. Al-Rabiah on Thursday inaugurated design models for new primary health care centers in the neighborhoods of Al-Sulaymaniyah, Al-Wadi, Al-Khaleej, Al-Murabba and Al-Mansoura.

The minister stressed that these centers are typical and that all newly built centers of the ministry will be rehabilitated and replaced with similar models.

He also pointed out that if 200 new centers are built each year, all leased centers will be transferred to owned ones within six years due to their large numbers in the Kingdom.

“We are not just talking about buildings, we are talking about the operation of these buildings, the professionalism of providing a service and developing it, which is part of the system we are working on. Undoubtedly, this development takes time and several years given the magnitude of the work,” he said.

The minister also said that the primary health care centers are operated by specialized family doctors who assess cases that need to be transferred to hospitals for a specific specialty.

“Therefore, they are the first line of defense and they contribute to providing and dispensing treatment in a short period, which is the accepted practice around the world,” he concluded.