Ophthalmology workforce over a decade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Demographics, distribution, and future challenges

Abstract

BACKGROUND The workforce of ophthalmology is an integral component of any healthcare system. The demand for eye care has imposed a heavy burden on the eye care system. Hence, this study aims to estimate the trends, demographics, distribution, and variation between Saudi and non-Saudi ophthalmologists, and the future challenges of the ophthalmology workforce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). METHODS This study was conducted in KSA and included ophthalmologists practicing from 2010 to 2023. From the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, we obtained the number, gender, nationality, and rank of ophthalmologists. The geographic distribution of ophthalmologists in KSA was obtained from the Ministry of Health statistical yearbook 2021. RESULTS As of January 2023, KSA had a total of 2608 registered ophthalmologists, with approximately 81.06 ophthalmologists per 1,000,000 people. Only 38% of all the ophthalmologists in the country were Saudis. 69.7% of ophthalmologists were male. The percentage of Saudi female graduates increased from 13.3% to 37.2% over 12 years. Additionally, we found that the geographic distribution of ophthalmologists varied, with the larger regions having a higher concentration of ophthalmologists than the smaller regions (75.6 in Riyadh versus 42.8 in Jazan per 1,000,000 people). However, the World Health Organization's target for the ophthalmologist-to-population ratio has been achieved in all 13 health regions of KSA. CONCLUSION The recommended opthalmologist-to-population ratio has been accomplished in KSA, and the number of Saudi ophthalmologists has almost doubled over the past 8 years. However, the majority of ophthalmologists are still non-Saudi as Saudi ophthalmologists constitute approximately one-third of the ophthalmology workforce in KSA. The geographical distribution of ophthalmologists varied, which might affect the access to care in the peripheral regions. In response to the growing demand for eye care in KSA, several more effective measures need to be established.