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Arabia’s demographics and wealth give it unusual public health problems. Road traffic accidents are the second highest cause of death in a country where 65% of people are aged 30 years or younger (World Health Organisation). The youth hides the damage that obesity and diabetes will cause in future decades. Colorectal cancer is the highest cause of cancer death in men (Alqahtani 2020), not prostate cancer like in most other countries, because of high meat consumption. The country has unusual public health solutions with a strong centralising state coordinating a massive transformation as part of Vision 203042 conjoined twins have been successfully separated by Saudi Arabia’s former Minister of Health (Al Rabeeh 2009). The paediatric surgeon, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, leads a team at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre specialising in these cases from all over the world. This is one example of the Kingdom’s investment in excellence.
Country’s healthcare system in a nutshell
Saudi Arabia introduced universal health coverage in 2019, to ensure that every Saudi citizen and resident can access healthcare at no cost. Funding for the Ministry of Health primarily derives from the annual government budget, which is largely supported by oil revenues (Almodhen and Moneir, 2023).
The healthcare system is structured into three levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary care. Primary care is offered through primary healthcare centres (PHCs), which deliver essential services such as preventive care, health education, and screening. Secondary care is provided by hospitals and specialised centres that offer more advanced services, including diagnostic procedures, surgical operations, and emergency care. The most complex treatments are handled at tertiary care hospitals, specialising in areas such as organ transplants and cancer therapy.
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As part of the initiative, in 2022, the Ministry of Health established the Health Holding Company (HHC), a state-owned enterprise designed to transform the nation's healthcare system. The HHC's mandate includes taking over the provision of healthcare services, while the Ministry’s role is shifting shifts from service provision to supervisory and regulatory roles.
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Public vs private
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The national PHR
History
The Saudi Ministry of Health commissioned and launched the Sehhaty application in August 2019 to achieve a number of national goals that focus on healthy lifestyles. In February 2021, the app was updated to include COVID-19 vaccination appointment registration and test booking, expanding its role in the nation's pandemic response.
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Immediate virtual consultations.
Booking and reviewing appointments.
Remote appointments.
Medication search.
Digital Health Wallet.
Viewing sick leave and medical reports.
Women’s health services.
Dependents’ services.
A dedicated primary care doctor for each family member (My Doctor).
Records of children's vaccinations and appointments.
Monitoring vital signs (via the "Know Your Numbers" service).
Step counting.
Maintaining a list of medications.
Educational content.
Booking COVID-19 screening and vaccination appointments.
Booking general vaccination appointments.
Early weather condition alerts for asthmatics.
Challenges and areas for improvement
While Sehhaty offers provides a wide comprehensive range of services , there are areas that could be improved. For instance, the platform lacks an access log, meaning users cannot view who but has some limitations that affect its overall functionality:
Lack of Access Log: Users cannot view an access log to track who has accessed their medical records or when
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, reducing transparency.
Limited Interoperability: The platform does not integrate with third-party software,
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restricting its ability to work seamlessly with other health-related apps
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and systems.
(PKB interviews, 2024)
Published outcomes - statistics
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any statistics about the use of Sehhaty in Saudi Arabia. If you have access to this information or can put us in touch with someone who has, please contact us at book@phr4gov.org
Screenshots
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Bibliography
Almodhen, F. and Moneir, W.M., 2023. Toward a Financially Sustainable Healthcare System in Saudi Arabia. Cureus, 15(10). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10632744/ (accessed: 2 November 2024).
Alqahtani, W.S., Almufareh, N.A., Domiaty, D.M., Albasher, G., Alduwish, M.A., Alkhalaf, H., Almuzzaini, B., Al-Marshidy, S.S., Alfraihi, R., Elasbali, A.M. and Ahmed, H.G., 2020. Epidemiology of cancer in Saudi Arabia thru 2010–2019: a systematic review with constrained meta-analysis. AIMS Public Health, 7(3), p.679. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7505779/ (accessed: 2 November
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2024).
Al Rabeeah, A.A., 2009. My experience with the conjoined twins (Arabic). Riyadh: Al Obeikan Co., Research and Development. Print.
Dawood, A. M., & Alkadi, K. S.
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, 2022
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. Evaluating Usability of Telehealth Sehhaty Application Used in Saudi Arabia During Covid-19. Studies in health technology and informatics, 295, 285–288. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI220718 (accessed: 3 November 2024).
Gurajala, S., 2023. Healthcare System in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An Expat Doctor's Perspective. Cureus, 15(5). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10250784/ (accessed: 2 November 2024).
Joseph, S. A.
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, 2022
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. Saudi Arabia picks Sehhaty app as national e-platform for healthcare services. GCC Business News. Available at: https://www.gccbusinessnews.com/saudi-arabia-picks-sehhaty-app-as-national-e-platform-for-healthcare-services/ (accessed: 1 November 2023).
Ministry of Health, 2021. Partnership Agreement with ‘Lean’. Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/Partnerships/Pages/Lean-Company.aspx (accessed: 1 November 2023).
Ministry of Health, 2023. "Sehhaty" Platform. Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/eServices/Sehhaty/Pages/default.aspx. (accessed: 1 November 2023).
Ministry of Health
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, n.d
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. Health Sector Transformation Strategy, Vision 2030. Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/vro/Documents/Healthcare-Transformation-Strategy.pdf (accessed: 1 August 2024).
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