Policy Discourse: Shifting the burden of healthcare from state to market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Saudi Arabia has modified from a predominantly free, public and comprehensive system under a welfare model to more of a mixed-economy model of healthcare. The welfare state slowly moved to a liberal model, emphasising market forces to dominate, and the private sector was trusted to provide better provision of healthcare. The country has confronting enormous problems in the health sector due to population growth, lifestyle changes, shift of disease pattern, elevated expectations, escalated healthcare costs, limited infrastructure and resources, and poor management practice in the provision of healthcare. Moreover, the government has been emphasizing on the need to bring in private sector investment to improve quality and efficiency, development of manpower, and standardization of services. As the current pattern of healthcare is unsustainable, the country is planning to restructure the present healthcare system towards institutionalizing it to meet the future challenges. The governments must make an appropriate amount of effort to build its healthcare systems by transforming and modifying the challenges faced by the society and its political-economic systems. The government should encourage equity, and fairness in the provision of healthcare.