JEDDAH, 7 September 2003 — Saudi Arabia plans to implement the cooperative health insurance scheme on pilgrims coming to the Kingdom for Haj and Umrah, according to a press statement from Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie.
The minister did not say when the scheme would be applied to foreign pilgrims but a recently issued executive bylaw has authorized the minister to make regulations in this respect.
The move comes as part of the government’s efforts to reduce public health expenditures. Up to now the government has provided health services to pilgrims free of charge.
The new executive law makes the government responsible for providing health services to foreign pilgrims during the Haj in accordance with the new rules and regulations to be laid down by the health minister.
More than 1.2 million pilgrims come for Haj from various Islamic countries every year. The number of foreign pilgrims who come for Umrah annually is estimated at more than two million.
Al-Manie also unveiled government plans to privatize the public health sector by taking various measures and following a special mechanism. “There is a plan to privatize the transportation of patients through specialized companies,” the minister told Al-Jazirah newspaper.
“We are going to take a number of measures to reduce expenditure. This includes renting of certain sections at health centers, hospitals, operating rooms, X-ray units and laboratories to the private sector,” he said.
These rental revenues will be used to finance the ministry’s budget and implement new projects.
Individuals and companies who operate government health facilities for rent will be asked to modernize them and carry out maintenance of medical equipment during their contract period.
A high-level Health Service Council will also be formed under the chairmanship of the health minister. It will prepare a strategy for health care in the country and propose an improved system for operating government hospitals.
Al-Manie also spoke about the prospects for opening pay-wards in government hospitals. There are also plans to offer contracts to be concluded with private ownership of specialized medical equipment.
The private sector will also be offered contracts to construct and operate specialized health facilities, which will end with private companies owning the facilities.
“There is also a plan to impose fees for health services being offered by hospitals and health centers,” the minister said.
However, he said new ways and means would be sought to exempt the poor and those in limited income groups from payment of their medical bills.
Referring to the cooperative insurance scheme, the minister said it would be implemented on Saudis. At the present the scheme is applied on expatriates. The first phase began on Sept. 6 last year and covered expatriates in companies with more than 500 employees. At least one million workers in 600 companies benefited from the scheme. The scheme also covered expatriates working in ministries.
The government began implementing the second phase on expatriates yesterday. Some 900,000 foreigners are expected to be covered by the scheme in this phase. The third phase will cover all expatriates in the country, including domestic workers.
