Okaz

BUSINESSMEN, traders, companies and establishments are often accused of exploitation by unnecessarily hiking prices of goods and services. Some people think that the main objective of businessmen is to exploit the state and citizens to serve their vested interests. This is an age-old view. It is etched in the minds of people due to actions of certain crazy businessmen and traders.

The widening divide between the rich and poor is another reason for creating such a perception in the minds of people. I don’t want to go into details and analyze the reasons. I would like to take this opportunity to support the recent government move to provide some services to citizens free of charge, especially health services.

Our government’s move to privatize public hospitals is a strategic and historic decision as it will not only boost the national economy but also promote overall development. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has approved the Supreme Economic Council’s proposal to privatize health institutions. It will lead to developing public hospitals and improve their services. The plan includes introduction of a comprehensive health insurance scheme covering all citizens.

The Cabinet has approved the establishment of a public holding company for the privatization purpose. It will have five companies owned by the Health Ministry. In addition, a health insurance program will be launched with the support of insurance companies. The government’s decision to transform public hospitals into private companies has raised concerns and fears among citizens as they are worried that they would lose free health services at public hospitals. In order to remove these fears, the Health Ministry made an announcement that citizens would continue to receive free health services.

I personally support the government’s strategic plan to privatize public hospitals in order to improve services by employing efficient and experienced doctors and medical practitioners. Under the new plan, which comes in line with Vision 2030, financial and time losses will be monitored and good performance and high quality of will be ensured to achieve better results.

The new move will create competition between hospitals to provide better services to their clients. Hospitals will be able to meet their expenditures from own revenues, which they receive from insurance companies. Free health services to citizens in the future will be provided indirectly through insurance firms as the state would purchase health insurance cards for all citizens to provide them services through public and private hospitals in the country.

Considering the delay in announcing details of the new insurance scheme, I hope citizens would be able to use their insurance cards to receive health services at public as well as private hospitals anywhere in the Kingdom. Employees of the private sector, including expats, must be allowed to receive health services from public and private hospitals. At present, employees of private companies are allowed to receive treatment only at private hospitals using health cards.

We know that there are many highly specialized hospitals and medical centers in the public sector but present regulations do not allow them to deal with insurance companies. The new privatization move would certainly improve the condition of public hospitals and their services and to increase their capacity through expansion projects. It will also help offset hospital budgets. Moreover it will strengthen insurance firms as they receive an opportunity to provide the service through public hospitals.

It will also bolster the Kingdom’s insurance market, increasing its capacity and revenue. If public and private insurance firms fail to improve their services, the government will be forced to establish new insurance firms because the state would be the largest customer being provider of health services to millions of citizens free of charge, to ensure the rights of the insured.

This is a new concept as per my understanding and analysis of the new hospital privatization plan. Many foreign countries have introduced this system successfully and I don’t see any reason for worry and concern. I believe that the move to privatize public hospitals is one of the major decisions taken by the state for the welfare of citizens in accordance with its new vision and strategy.

The Kingdom’s health system must be developed and modernized to overcome poor quality of services in the sector. The management of public hospitals by specialized private firms will bring about a sea-change in the quality of services. It will also ensure free medical services to citizens.