Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Health Minister Fahd Al-Jalajel said that Saudi Arabia has witnessed a 40 percent decrease in premature death rates due to chronic diseases since the year 2017. Addressing the Model of Healthcare Forum, organized by Health Holding Company in Riyadh, he said that the death rate from road accidents has decreased by more than 50 percent since 2017, indicating that this confirms the preservation of the lives of more than 75,000 citizens.

Al-Jalajel thanked the Saudi leadership for drawing up an integrated vision that put human health first. He said that while the World Health Organization confirmed the existence of a gap of up to 10 million health practitioners in the world by 2030, the Kingdom is developing national capabilities and competencies, and attracting the best expertise from different countries of the world.

Al-Jalajel highlighted the partnership between the Ministry of Health and Ministry Education, led by Minister of Education Yousef Al-Bunyan, to establish a medical education system in schools, and training in the basics of first aid and lifesaving. Under the system, students represent the “first responder” until the ambulance arrives. More than 20,000 first responders have been trained within the programs carried out by the First Riyadh Health Cluster.

According to Al-Jalajel, the modern healthcare model has touched the lives of every citizen since its implementation in 2017, to include health clusters in the Kingdom, such as government, private and non-profit sectors, until it reached more than 20 million beneficiaries.

The minister, who is also chairman of the Board of Directors of the Health Holding Company, said that this model has been renamed to The Saudi Healthcare Model. “This model was designed by Saudis, and it is time to inspire the world with this distinguished model,” he said.

It is noteworthy that the Health Holding Company is a state-owned company that provides comprehensive and integrated healthcare services through the health clusters.