Saudi Shoura asks KACST to revise plans to comply with NTP, Vision 2030

RIYADH: The Shoura Council on Tuesday asked King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) to revise objectives of the national plan for science, technology and innovation and its compatibility with the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020 and Vision 2030.
Shoura members listened to a report presented by the Committee of Education and Scientific Research based on the KACST’s annual report.
The council also called on the KACST to develop its financial resources and diversify income through the establishment of investment and endowment funds.
The council members also listened to a report of the Health Committee based on the annual report of the Ministry of Health.
In its recommendations, the committee asked the Ministry of Health to speed up the application of government medical cooperative insurance and coordinate with the concerned parties to implement the unified health program in accordance with a specific time scale.
The committee also called on the ministry to study the privatization issue to ensure proper application and achieve the set objectives.
It also urged the ministry to intensify efforts in the application of the early test program for newborn babies in both government and private sector hospitals, and improve performance indexes regarding mortality rates of infants and mothers during delivery.
One member said there was excess disbursement of medicine because there is no unified health record for citizens, and proposed that the Saudi Health Commission undertake the issue. Another member proposed the establishment of a cooperative insurance company to synchronize with the hospital privatization drive.
Another member stressed the importance of the Ministry of Health’s cooperation with other agencies on a disease protective program to minimize rising costs of health care. Another member called on directors of health affairs to conduct field visits to determine shortcomings. One member noted shortfall in the ministry’s emergency and operation sections and beds for critical cases.