PHSSR Saudi Arabia 2025

26 Sustainability and Resilience in the Saudi Arabian Health System The Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience Alignment and collaboration Prior to Vision 2030 , the complexity of healthcare governance structures at the central and local scale posed challenges to effective planning and the implementation of healthcare policies. Misalignment of planning processes across different levels hindered governance, leading to inefficient resource allocation, duplication of efforts and inadequate service delivery. With the implementation of Vision 2030, central government and local authorities have sought to align their planning processes and ensure effective communication and collaboration. This has been intended to streamline governance and promote greater e fficiency and effectiveness in healthcare delivery. Importantly, the health system’s governance increasingly prioritises inclusivity and transparency in national decision making. By involving various stakeholders in decision making, fostering dialogue and sharing of information across organisational and sectoral boundaries, the system aims to ensure that diverse perspectives are heard. Such openness is key to enhancing trust and cultivating equitable healthcare policies that cater to the needs of the population. Initiatives to enhance public engagement and involvement in the formation of national policy include the Public Consultation Platform Survey (Istetla’a; translation: survey): an online platform that provides an avenue for public and government bodies to share opinions and input on draft laws in all sectors, including healthcare, before final approval. Despite these initiatives, and as discussed later in this chapter, patient participation in healthcare decision making processes remains limited, which is identi fied as an issue to address. Evaluation and monitoring Evaluation plans are routinely built into major policy initiatives in the health care sector. One such plan is the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020, which is an integral part of Vision 2030 (National Transformation Program, website). NTP 2020 includes speci fic targets and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the progress and effectiveness of initiatives to improve the health care sector. This approach enables the government to track the success of implemented policies, adjust them as needed and ensure that the health system continues to develop in line with the goals set forth in Vision 2030 .The results of these KPIs are publicly disseminated and used to inform policy initiatives. In addition, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms have been put in place to assess the impact of proposed reforms under Saudi Arabia’s new Model of Care and Vision 2030 . Furthermore, the MoH has established the Health Care Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Analytics Middle East, which evaluates the impact of the new Model of Care, discussed in the subsequent chapter, and other health care reforms. HIMSS Analytics Middle East uses a standardised evaluation framework to assess the readiness and maturity of health care organisations in adopting new technologies and processes. Finally, the government has established the Saudi Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care (SCEBH) to conduct research and produce evidence to inform health care policies and practices. The Centre conducts real-world analyses of health care interventions and provides guidance on best practices for health care professionals. Current challenges The Health Sector Transformation Programme (HSTP) is currently addressing several challenges that could have a signi ficant impact on the competent governance of healthcare (Al-Abri R & Al- Balushi A, 2014; Alharbi MF et al., 2014; Alkhamis AA, 2017; Almalki M et al., 2011). These include: •A highly fragmented healthcare system with a plethora of providers and an evident limitation in coordination. This often leads to operational ine fficiencies and disparities in standards of care. •As discussed later in this report, workforce concerns present another considerable challenge. There is a conspicuous insu fficiency of healthcare professionals, particularly in rural regions, a problem exacerbated by an over-reliance on expatriate health workers. This situation poses a substantial challenge for the sector's long-term sustainability.