The Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Fahd bin Abdul Rahman Al-Jalajel, is a well-known figure in the country’s medical sector.
Under his direction, Saudi Arabia’s health services saw a significant and historic transformation. One such change was the Ministry’s institutional work after the Council of Ministers approved the establishment of the Health Holding Company in June 2022 to provide healthcare through health clusters.
Establishing the National Health Insurance Centre to finance these services.
The Saudi Health Minister’s Scientific Qualifications:
- He graduated from Pennsylvania’s Saint Joseph’s University with a master’s degree in computer science.
- He graduated from King Saud University in Riyadh with a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
- He earned an executive credential in leadership and management from the MIT Sloan School of Management in the United States of America.
Fahd Al-Jalajel Duties and Responsibilities
Minister of Health: He assumed the position of Minister of Health in October 2022.
Chairman of:
- General Authority for Food and Drug Administration.
- Saudi Health Council.
- Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
He chairs the boards of directors of 27 health sector organisations.
The Saudi Minister of Health Achievements:
Health Sector Development:
- Building complementary partnerships between the public and private sectors: Public-private cooperation has grown to develop and improve healthcare services.
- Encouraging investment in healthcare: To boost productivity and enhance services, efforts have been made to draw capital to the sector.
- Prioritise service quality and speed: The citizens’ and residents’ needs for better service quality and speed were prioritised.
Health Holding Company’s Establishment:
- Health Holding Company Establishment: Founded in June 2022, the company’s goal is to deliver healthcare services via health clusters.
- Separating the regulator from the service provider: The goal of this approach is to increase the regulator’s efficacy and efficiency.
Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Monitoring the response plans to the COVID-19 pandemic: The health minister took part in managing the vaccination centres and the reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Reaching advanced stages in the pandemic response: The Kingdom’s achievement of first place in the G20 and second place in the pandemic response index was largely due to the reaction plans.
The Kingdom has emerged as a symbol of triumph in the fight against the epidemic, with safeguarding the health of its citizens, inhabitants, and guests apprehending paramount importance.
Obstacles Facing Fahd Al-Jalajel in this Field:
Changes in the health sector:
Achieving the Transformation of the Health Sector: The Minister is striving to bring about change in the health sector to boost its capacity to take in large populations and to grant the private sector more room and authority to increase the private sector’s share of health service delivery from 20% to 50%.
Technical and digital challenges:
Taking on technical and digital difficulties: The Minister seems likely to successfully address technological and digital obstacles in the health sector and endeavour to enhance the health information infrastructure, owing to his robust foundation in information technology.
Cybersecurity for the health sector:
Protection of health data and information: The Minister is in charge of defending health data and information from cyber-attacks. He is the Chairman of the Health Sector Cybersecurity Committee.
Tobacco control:
Reducing tobacco use and its effects: The Minister is committed to lowering tobacco use and the detrimental effects it has on society’s health. This is demonstrated by his chairing of the National Tobacco Control Committee.
Psychological health:
Encouraging mental health: The Minister’s presidency of the National Centre for Mental Health Promotion demonstrates his commitment to advancing mental and psychological well-being.
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