RIYADH: Recent statistics announced by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, which coincided with consensus surveys in the Kingdom for the year 2014, revealed that there is only one doctor for each 800 people, and one nurse for every 285 people.

According to the commission, there are around 25,000 Saudi doctors in the health market, representing 20.1 percent of the total number of doctors in the Kingdom, and 72,000 Saudi nurses, representing 29.4 percent from 245,000 nurses working in the Kingdom.

In comparison with the total number of Saudi doctors and nurses available in the market with the total population of 20.7 million, this means that there is a doctor for every 800 citizens.

The strategic plan aims to decrease this number to one doctor for every 500 citizens, and one nurse for every 250 citizens, in addition to one technician for every 400 citizens. Reports from the SCHS stated that there is a shortage in national health cadre in the Kingdom, after it was revealed that Saudis working in the health sector form only 30.4 percent of the total number of health practitioners.

The report showed that expatriate doctors in the Kingdom account for 80 percent of licensed doctors with 102,000 doctors, while Saudis account for only 20.1 percent. Saudi pharmacists account for 18 percent at 7,000, while expatriates form 82 percent with 39,000.

The number of registered nurses in the Kingdom stands at 29.4 percent, with 72,000 Saudi nurses, while the number of expatriate nurses stands at 173,000.