Health care in Saudi Arabia

[1] There is also a growing role and increased participation from the private sector in the provision of health care services.

It also adopts the referral system which provides curative care for all members of society from the level of general practitioners at health centers to advanced technology specialist curative services through a broad base of general and specialist hospitals (220 hospitals).

[2] The ministry is the lead Government agency responsible for the management, planning, financing and regulating of the health care sector.

It also undertakes the overall supervision and follow-up of health care related activities carried out by the private sector.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs operates institutions for the mentally ill and custodial homes for orphans.

The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center uses highly advanced technologies and act as a reference hospital for cases that require advanced and specialist treatment, while it also conducts research on health issues in general and those related to the Kingdom in particular.

The King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital is designed to be a large health facility offering high quality specialized services for optometry, ophthalmology, eye surgery and medicine as well as being a regional research center in the area of ophthalmology.

Enforcement of this compulsory coverage include fines for non-compliant companies and a refusal to renew working permits without insurance.