Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has relieved Health Minister Ahmed al-Khatib of his post, according to the SPA, in the second removal of a minister this month in the social services sector. Saudi Arabia’s new Minister of Health, Mohammed bin Abdulmalik bin Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh, will serve on an acting basis, the SPA said. Minister Al-Sheikh replaces Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khatib, who was appointed to be Minister of Health in January, serving for 4 months before being replaced on April 11th.
Several challenges will await Minister Al-Sheikh as he takes over the MoH.
2015 Spending on Health and Social Affairs is increasing year-on-year for Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia’s population is growing rapidly, and the Kingdom is building hospitals and medical-sector infrastructure needed to accommodate that growth across the country. Spending on healthcare in Saudi Arabia is increasing substantially, year-on-year, according to Saudi Arabia’s 2015 budget estimates.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia is still battling the spread of the MERS-CoV virus. Over 1,000 people have contracted the MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia, and roughly half of those have died, according to recent figures. The Kingdom recently mandated penalties for Health professionals in Saudi Arabia, who now face up to six months in jail, fines, and the loss of their medical licence if they fail to report suspected cases of the virus, according to a recent report in Arabian Business.
In February, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations visited Saudi Arabia and concluded that the Kingdom must do more to combat the spread of the disease, particularly in hospitals, the WHO said.
In April of 2014, King Abdullah relieved the popular Minister of Health Abdullah al Rabeeah of his post and assigned Labor Minister Adel Al-Fakeih a second Ministry position. Al Rabeeah is an internationally recognized conjoined twins surgeon.
