Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Health Council approved the National Framework Program for Health Disaster Management in the Kingdom. The decision was taken by the 89th session of the Council chaired by Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, who is also chairman of the Council.

The General Secretariat of the Council, in coordination with the relevant sectors, will implement the provisions of this framework after endorsement from higher authorities, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Council coordinates and integrates between different health agencies in the Kingdom to provide high quality healthcare.

The Council approved the findings of a committee that studied the proposal for ambulatory care safety requirements in public places and utilities. It also underlined the need to prepare a draft system for ambulatory safety binding on all regulatory, licensing or supervisory bodies that have the presence of human gatherings.

The Council endorsed uniform classification and coding systems in the medical field in the Kingdom, updating and adopting new versions of these regulations by the National Health Information Center affiliated to the Council.

The Council stipulated that the Center should prepare executive regulations that help it to compel information technology companies in the Kingdom to obtain accreditation and licensing.

The Council approved the National Diabetes Control Strategy and accordingly the National Diabetes Center, under the Council, has to coordinate with the relevant sectors to implement the goals contained in the strategy after its adoption by the higher authorities, and to submit an annual report on the results of implementing the strategy in the sectors.

The Council agreed to establish a national committee to develop primary healthcare services, in order to prepare the implementation plan for the national strategic orientation project for primary healthcare.

With regard to the treatment of minors and the incapacitated in the event their guardians do not agree to the treatment, the Council decided to refer the matter to the Ministry of Health to ensure them treatment under the project of practicing the health professions law prepared by the ministry.

The Council was briefed on the challenges facing the Saudi Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI), as well as on the issue of collecting the financial compensation for health services offered by government facilities for private health insurance beneficiaries and what was done in this regard.

It decided that the health sectors would nominate a project manager, in cooperation with the Cooperative Health Insurance Council, to implement the project related to costs of government health services.