The Ministry of Health confirmed that 186,000 patients benefited from its online Patients Referral Program “Ehala” which links the different health institutions allowing them to access the patient’s information without the need to transfer him.

Suleiman Al-Shouraei, general director of the program and assistant manager of the general administration of the emergency department, said in a statement to local media that 158,515 medical cases were immediately accepted by the system accounting for 85 percent of the total number of referred cases.

“There are currently 5,469 cases being processed (2.9 percent) in addition to 21,167 cases which require medical services not yet available at the hospital bringing the total to 11.4 percent of the total cases,” said Al-Shouraei.

He added that the program included 1,325 cases on the waiting list or 0.7 percent of the total referred cases from the primary health care centers in the Kingdom whose number stands at 2,259.

The director explained that the program has been operating on a trial basis since 2013 in order to unify the referral procedures of the patients between the different health institutions in the country and to obtain quick and efficient transfers of patients between the various levels of medical health services.

“The program enjoys the close follow up of the health minister pending its official launch. In the forthcoming development stages, it will link government hospitals and other supportive and participant health institutions with the health services provided,” he said.

Ehalati links different hospitals which all have access to the patient’s data making it easier for him to avail the health services from anywhere. The online program is one of the qualitative services programs implemented by the Ministry of Health in accordance with its slogan “Patient first.”

The program provides medical and health advice without the need to transfer the patient. It also provides all the logistics and coordination support in the event that the patient needs to be transferred from one health institution to another.

The program is in the final stages of the trial run prior to being endorsed officially.