JEDDAH: While the Ministry of Health faces a shortage of available beds in intensive care units, the official spokesman for health affairs in Jeddah, Abdullah Al-Ghamidi, revealed that 333 patients have been staying in hospital for years.
Long-term patients in hospitals are categorized as people placed on artificial respirators; those who need house care; those who improved but their families haven’t taken them home; and financial burdens.
Al-Ghamidi said the ministry offers its services to citizens and residents free of charge, and bears the financial burdens that exceed its responsibility because some citizens refuse to take patients home, in addition to some residents who stay in hospitals for a long time without any intervention from their embassies.
The former development director at the maternity and pediatric hospital in Al-Masadiya, Dr. Mansour Al-Tbeiqi, said the state system guarantees that patients receive suitable health care at all times and in a manner that guarantees their dignity.
He added that the ministry set health costs at SR500,000 a year per patient, and this sum could increase in cases of long-term patients.
He added that four years ago, a joint committee recommended, in a workshop organized by King Abdullah Hospital and the oncology center in Jeddah, the importance of setting up special care homes for long-term patients to ease the pressure off hospitals. The committee recommended the enhancement of the role of home health care, and the importance of devising plans to come up with solutions and suggestions to ease suffering and provide rehabilitation centers inside hospitals to train patients and their families about home care.
He said the workshop stressed the importance of coordination between relevant authorities to come up with programs and services that meet the needs of long-term patients, and involve the private and charitable sectors, as well as civil society to provide such programs and services. The workshop also recommended the setting up of sub-units inside medical service departments and directorates in hospitals to deal with long-term patients.
Al-Tbeiqi said some expatriate patients have been occupying hospitals beds for many years, and the embassies of their countries should bear their responsibilities. They should contribute to vacating these beds by authorizing joint committees affiliated with the Ministry of Health to look into these cases. These patients should be discharged and their treatment followed up in their homes.
He said solutions to the problem should include setting up of special homes to take care of long-term patients; enhancing the role of home care; providing programs to rehabilitate patients and their families; establishing new programs and services that meet the needs of long-term patients; and setting up sub-units to take care of long-term patients.
Long-term patients in hospitals are categorized as people placed on artificial respirators; those who need house care; those who improved but their families haven’t taken them home; and financial burdens.
Al-Ghamidi said the ministry offers its services to citizens and residents free of charge, and bears the financial burdens that exceed its responsibility because some citizens refuse to take patients home, in addition to some residents who stay in hospitals for a long time without any intervention from their embassies.
The former development director at the maternity and pediatric hospital in Al-Masadiya, Dr. Mansour Al-Tbeiqi, said the state system guarantees that patients receive suitable health care at all times and in a manner that guarantees their dignity.
He added that the ministry set health costs at SR500,000 a year per patient, and this sum could increase in cases of long-term patients.
He added that four years ago, a joint committee recommended, in a workshop organized by King Abdullah Hospital and the oncology center in Jeddah, the importance of setting up special care homes for long-term patients to ease the pressure off hospitals. The committee recommended the enhancement of the role of home health care, and the importance of devising plans to come up with solutions and suggestions to ease suffering and provide rehabilitation centers inside hospitals to train patients and their families about home care.
He said the workshop stressed the importance of coordination between relevant authorities to come up with programs and services that meet the needs of long-term patients, and involve the private and charitable sectors, as well as civil society to provide such programs and services. The workshop also recommended the setting up of sub-units inside medical service departments and directorates in hospitals to deal with long-term patients.
Al-Tbeiqi said some expatriate patients have been occupying hospitals beds for many years, and the embassies of their countries should bear their responsibilities. They should contribute to vacating these beds by authorizing joint committees affiliated with the Ministry of Health to look into these cases. These patients should be discharged and their treatment followed up in their homes.
He said solutions to the problem should include setting up of special homes to take care of long-term patients; enhancing the role of home care; providing programs to rehabilitate patients and their families; establishing new programs and services that meet the needs of long-term patients; and setting up sub-units to take care of long-term patients.
