In the Name of

Allah, the Most

Gracious, Most
Merciful

Primary Health Care in Saudi

Arabia

By:
Dr. Attia Z. Taha

What are the levels of

Health Care?

Levels of Health Care

Primary

Health Care
Secondary Health Care
Tertiary Health Care

What is Primary Health Care?

How would you define Primary
Health Care?

Primary Health Care (WHO)

Essential

health care made accessible

at a cost that the country and
community can afford, with methods
that are practical, scientifically sound,
and socially acceptable.
Everyone in the community should
have access to it and everyone should
be involved in it.

 )
(

& Concepts
?Principles of PHC

Concepts & Principles of

Accessibility
PHC?
Equity in distribution
Continuity of care
Team approach
Appropriate technology
Multisectoral approach
Community participation
Self-reliance
Cost-effective

Elements of PHC

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Health Education
Treatment of common diseases & injuries
Maternal and child health
Immunization
Safe water supply and basic sanitation
Adequate food supply & proper nutrition
Control of locally endemic diseases
Provision of essential drugs

What is the rationale of

establishing PHCCs?
To provide:
1. Promotive,
2. Preventive,
3. Curative,

&
4. Rehabilitative Services

Primary Health Care in Saudi

Arabia

In 1400H: Dispensaries, Health Offices, and

Maternal and child health centers were
integrated
Primary Health Care
Centers (PHCCs)
In 1404H a total of 11 ideal PHCCs were
established in various areas of the Kingdom.
Today there are more than 2000 PHCCs all
over the Kingdom.

 ) (1

1420/1426

1420/1421
1421/1422
1422/1423
1423/1424
1424/1425
1425/1426

1766
1786
1792
1804
1848
1902

20
6
12
44
54

13

Strategies for primary health care

implementation
Horizontal expansion and efficiency
2. Organizing out-reach activities and reaching the
people through social and religious institutions (like
school, mosque, etc.);
3. Delivering comprehensive health care
4. Consolidating and strengthening the National
Control Programms (malaria, Tb. bilharzia); by
integrating preventive and curative services
5. Promoting health awareness in the people through
organized Health Education Programs
1.

Strategies for primary health care

implementation (Cont.)
6. Developing effective and suitable referral system
7. Providing a continued educational programs for the
PHCC team
8. Coordinating with other health related Government
sectors
9. Establish Family Medicine as a concept and way of
providing PHC
10. Aiming at one physician for every 3000 of the
population

Health Team in a PHC

Center
Health inspector

Lab. Technician

Pharmacist
Doctors

&

receptionists

nurses

Constraints and Difficulties facing

PHC in KSA
No

specific budget for PHC

Majority of Physicians in PHCCs are: not Family
Physicians; have inadequate training in PHC;
Non-Saudis, Non-Arabic speaking
Majority of PHCCs are rented buildings
Inadequate infrastructure: nurses, Health
inspectors,

Constraints and Difficulties facing

PHC in KSA (Cont.)
Inadequate

coordination and cooperation with

higher levels of Health Care
Health information system and Filing system is
weak
Inadequate participation of the community with
the PHCCs
Distribution and quality of the Supporting
Services (e.g. Labs, x-rays, etc..) are
unsatisfactory

National Programs within PHC

National

Program for Mother & Child

Health
National Program for Diarrheal Disease
Control
National Program for Tuberculosis Control
National Program for Bronchial Asthma
National Program for Chronic Diseases

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: 71
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M of H websites
www.moh.gov.sa
www.alsehha.net

Province)

(Eastern