RIYADH: DR. HAMD Al-Manea, Minister of Health, inaugurated Saturday a prototype of 2,000 Primary Healthcare Centers (PHC) in Riyadh, which will be built across Saudi Arabia at a total cost of SR7,000 billion.
Before opening the state-of-the-art PHC at Solaimania District Dr. Al-Manea signed a contract with four different companies for the construction, operation, medical supplies and maintenance of 150 PHCs, as part of first phase of King Abdullah Primary Healthcare Center Project.
Signing ceremony took place in the premises of Solaimania PHC in the presence of over 1,000 guests who included officials of the ministry, doctors and businessmen. The MoH will order the construction of another set of 420 PHCs, as part of second phase and 440 such centers in the third phase.
Dr. Al-Manea said that unlike before when 70 percent of the existing 1,850 PHCs were located in the rented buildings the newly-built health centers will be totally owned by MoH, which include staff, medical supplies and support system.
The health minister later took a tour of the newly-built PHC, which serves as a prototype of the 2,000 such centers to be constructed during the next five year period. The average construction cost of each PHC is estimated at SR3.5 million.
The unique feature of the new PHCs is that it has eliminated all paper work, which includes patients' case sheet. "As the patient enters the PHC he just has to enter his name and other personal details to open an e-file," said an official of the newly-built PHC at Solaimania District.
The PHC staff member said each department at the PHC is equipped with a computer. It will update a patient's e-file information as he moves from consultant physician(s) to pathological laboratory and to pharmacy to collect his prescribed medicine.
The PHCs operate round the clock but in emergency services only a limited staff will be available.
Dr. Nabeel Al-Qahtani, Director General of MoH's PHCs Department, said the PHCs are categorized under three types A, B and C based on the number of residents in each locality.
The PHCs in A category will serve 15,000 to 25,000 inhabitants of the locality while B 10,000 to 15,000 residents and C less 5,000 people.
"The first phase of construction of 150 PHCs will be finished within a year," he said.
He said the PHCs would operate with an added responsibility which means the medical personnel serve all members of the community through education. A saying 'prevention is better than cure' would be emphasized for the people to stay healthy.
This would be done through creating a healthy environment in each locality where the PHC is located.
A PHC is more than a healthcare center since it covers total family needs including prevention of the communicable and non-communicable diseases and the treatment, he said.
"Through the community participation program a PHC is covering all the medical needs of a mother and her child by organizing health education campaigns from time to time including the vaccination," he said.
The PHCs will educate the residents about how to stay healthy.
He said over 85 percent of the people in Saudi Arabia first visit the PHCs and other 15 percent have appointments at hospitals and other health institutions. "This means PHCs play a very important role in the Kingdom's healthcare system."
He said in 2005 PHCs across Saudi Arabia have recorded 58 million patients' visits.
The ministry's major emphasis is on the maximum utilization of the PHCs, primarily aimed at reducing the people's need to visit hospitals, he said.
"Our stress is on the PHCs to emerge as major healthcare service provider to the people in a way that reduces visits to the hospitals," he said.
The health sector will also create more number of jobs for the Saudis, as the project of construction of new PHCs is completed, he said.
The MoH will also undertake human resource development for Saudis to work in the PHCs in health and maintenance.
By Shahid Ali Khan
© The Saudi Gazette 2006
