Saudi Arabia will need an additional 10,000 doctors by 2020, say experts

“One of the most exciting things about Vision 2030 and the Ministry of Health’s transformation program is the ambition to do things differently,” he said. “In many ways, this old way of thinking that hospital beds equal health may apply to older health systems, but in Saudi Arabia that is not the case.

“The Minister of Health unveiled a new Model of Care in April 2017, and this described a new way of delivering health care that puts much more emphasis on individuals looking after themselves, on the importance of virtual care and how much greater investment is needed in primary care. Keeping people well, treating them at home and providing virtual care services mean that reliance on hospital beds will be far less important.”

Nevertheless, Clark emphasized that chronic bed shortages in ICUs need urgent attention, and foreign investment and private health care companies will be needed to close the care gap.

“In a young and dynamic country, with leadership that is committed to rolling out the new Model of Care, the focus on bed numbers will reduce, and quality and value will increase. There is the distinct possibility that KSA will leapfrog other health systems, like the UK’s NHS, by 2030.”