ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF HEALTHCARE REFORM IN SAUDI ARABIA: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION AND PRELIMINARY HEALTH OUTCOMES

Abstract

Healthcare systems around the world are undergoing a shift through integrated, comprehensive policies aimed at systematically increasing capacity, enhancing quality, and improving equity. This study provides a quantitative evaluation of the Health Sector Transformation Program (HSTP) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, strategically integrated into the Vision 2030 initiative, during the critical initial implementation phase (2019–2024). Using validated data from the Health Ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's data authority, the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), this study provides a comprehensive analysis of structural parameters and documented mortality indicators. Based on extensive analysis, the results we found demonstrate significant improvements in the healthcare sector: a 33.3% increase in the doctor-to-population ratio, rising from 27.6 to 36.8 doctors per 10,000 population; a 3.6% growth in the total number of hospitals, expanding from 498 to 516; and a notable 27.1% decline in under-five child mortality rates, decreasing from 8.5 to 6.2 per 1,000 live births. Hospital bed density per population also increased modestly by 4.0%, reflecting overall population growth of 4.7% at the time. However, regional inequality in hospitals is substantial: the Riyadh region accounts for 22.3% of the total number of hospitals, although it constitutes only 13% of the Kingdom’s total population. The ultimate success of healthcare and the effectiveness of transformed strategies cannot be fully evaluated due to data gaps in parameters such as post-2019 total mortality, patient data, and quality metrics. Although the initial results for the above parameters are very satisfactory and align with the goal of the HSTP strategy, continued implementation of these parameters, along with substantial improvements in the data parameters, is urgently needed.