HUB AND SPOKE

he healthcare industry is key area under the Kingdom's transformation plan. It is moving toward a ‘hub-and-spoke’ model for the provision of care, centered around a medical city and a network of primary care facilities, boosted by an initiative toward building a unified patient records system to make healthcare provision more transparent.

Through the establishment of medical cities, a central location will be created within this new model of care, surrounded by a network of 400 primary or family care facilities that will serve as referral system for secondary, tertiary, and other specialist care provided in the cities.

The Saudi Health Council (SHC) is overseeing this transition from a regulatory perspective and is working closely with LEAN. The SHC is also responsible for the practical implementation of the digital initiatives. Another key body that was recently incepted is the Saudi Patient Safety Center, initially a part of the accreditation authority CBAHI, but is now an independent monitor and enforcer of patient safety and staff safety.

As the responsibilities of the Ministry of Health and its surrounding authorities and councils shift, the potential role of the private sector is growing as well. While PPPs have been around for a long time. There are new areas for private sector to get

Tinvolved in. This includes primary healthcare, rehabilitation services, pharmaceuticals, long-term care, radiology, lab services, day surgeries, and day services. Furthermore, commissioning partially or fully operating hospitals is another domain that the private sector can explore. For international stakeholders, there are many opportunities, with a great deal of regulatory overview under the national privatization program. In the private sector, we feature some of the Kingdom’s local pharma and medical equipment manufacturers to exemplify their experiences.

In addition, the technological drive in healthcare is best served by increased private-sector participation, including initiatives in telemedicine and medical equipment. According to the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), the country aims to increase the ratio of locally produced medicine to 40% in 2020.

The Council for Cooperative Health Insurance (CCHI) is, together with SAMA, the regulator of the health insurance sector, and largely responsible for the technical aspects. One of their main initiatives set to go live in 2020 is the Saudi Health Information Bus (SHIB), a national data exchange platform that will allow the organization to measure performance and ensure compliance, reduce waste, and improve value. ✖