KSA inks deal with Australia on health codification, DRG systems

RIYADH: The Saudi Health Council (SHC) has signed a cooperation deal with the Australian government in application of health codification and diagnosis-related group (DRG) systems.
SHC Secretary General Dr. Yaqoub bin Yusuf Al-Mazrou and Australian Charge d’Affaires Bernard Lynch signed the agreement.
Al-Mazrou said the deal is considered an extension for existing agreements between the two countries in this area, however, some amendments were made to make them more active in the Kingdom’s health institutions.
He said the amendments were considered the starting point for the activation of the medical care reimbursement system in government or private health institutions.
DRG is a statistical system of classifying any inpatient stay into groups for the purposes of payment.
The agreement will help develop payment tools based on global standards whereby a mechanism for fair pricing medical services, based on real costs, could be laid down between health service providers, he said.
He said the new system will allow the concerned parties to plan, implement and achieve a balanced budget for medical facilities effectively in light of the national strategy for health care in the Kingdom approved by a royal decree. The Australian envoy said his country has vast experiences in this area.
He said his government is fully committed to cooperate with the Kingdom in the development of the health sector and, at the same time, is pleased to offer its experiences in areas related to scientific research, education and training, as well as its partnership with the Kingdom to achieve Vision 2030.