SAUDI ARABIA

MOH spent SR2bn on foreign treatment for Saudis last year

September 18, 2018

Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH
— The Saudi government spent more than SR2 billion on medical treatment for Saudi citizens abroad last year, according to the Ministry of Health.

The United States, Britain, Germany and China were the four main destinations for Saudis seeking medical treatment abroad, Al-Watan newspaper reported quoting the ministry.

It said a special committee in the ministry studied all cases and decided cases that should be treated locally and those to be sent abroad.

The ministry said the cases sent for treatment abroad included cardiac patients, psychiatric patients and people seeking treatment for neurological conditions and ear, nose and throat problems as well as cases for rehabilitation and plastic surgeries.

According to the latest statistics released by the ministry, the government spent more than SR47 million on treatment of cardiac diseases, SR370 million on problems related to internal medicine, SR6.7 million on gland infections, SR110 million on blood diseases and SR888 million on cancer patients.

The ministry said it spent about SR312 million to treat psychiatric patients and those in need of rehabilitation.

It said it had spent more than SR201 million on children in need of treatment abroad and about SR11.8 million on patients with skin diseases.

The ministry spent more than 122 million on patients in need of stem cell transplant and SR47 million on people who were deformed by burns.

Dr. Suhail Khan, a consultant psychologist, said most of the psychiatric patients who were sent abroad for treatment were those needing long time to heal including patients with emotional disturbances, schizophrenia and drug addiction.

He said some of these diseases require more than six months of treatment in hospitals.


September 18, 2018
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