JEDDAH, 7 January — Health Minister Dr. Osama Shubokshi acknowledged yesterday that there was shortage of medicine at public health centers and hospitals. He attributed this shortage to the limited budget allocations for the health sector. Speaking to Al-Madinah newspaper, the minister also admitted that most medical equipment at government hospitals were old.
"There are no financial allocations for the maintenance of this equipment," Shubokshi said, adding that the ministry was trying to replace old equipment with new in its bid to improve health services. He criticized the bureaucratic practices at the Health Ministry and said he would do his best to speed up procedures.
Shubokshi said he was not happy with the performance of many public hospitals and hoped that they would endeavor to improve their services. He warned private hospitals against exploiting the shortage of certain medicines, adding that the Health Ministry would not allow black market for medicines.
Shubokshi disclosed that the ministry had paid SR8 billion in dues to medical and pharmaceutical companies. He also pointed out that only last year his ministry was able to get out of the debt problem.
The minister said the Health Insurance Council was giving final touches to the new health insurance scheme that will be implemented shortly for expatriates. He said the scheme was aimed at making basic health services available to everybody when needed. He said the executive bylaws of the system would be published soon.
Shubokshi said his ministry had adopted various methods to supply the required amount of medicine at low costs. "Some people go to public hospitals and health centers and insist on a particular medicine which may not be available there." He indicated that the ministry had stopped purchasing certain expensive medicines due to lack of funds.
"We purchase medicine at ministry level, not at regional or hospital levels," he said answering another question.
He refuted suggestions that there was negligence on the part of the ministry in handling Rift Valley Fever in Jizan. He pointed out that the combined efforts of various ministries restricted the killer virus and the government would continue its efforts to eradicate the disease completely.
According to the latest press statement issued by the ministry, 114 people died from RVF in the Kingdom since the outbreak in Jizan September last year. Of the 843 people infected by the deadly disease, 719 have left hospital after full recovery, the statement said.
