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Health Cover in KSA

 
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 11:00 am    Post subject: Health Cover in KSA Reply with quote

Having just had major surgery I wonder how many of those working in KSA have proper medical cover. I do not mean the chance to go to a MoH hospital - I mean private health cover.

This is of real concern to many - or should be. How many ELI's in the KofSA pop their clogs prematurely because they did not get decent health treatment ?
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andrew



Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 12:11 pm    Post subject: health cover Reply with quote

This is a topic I have been searching and posting on for years. Few respond and I found practically no practical advice. It is a boring topic-until.....
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Paul in Saudi



Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Posts: 404
Location: Doha, Qatar

PostPosted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 2:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have decent coverage from my company, but only in the Kingdom and I presume if I come down with something really gruesome, I wold be fired.

So I carry a worldwide private insurance policy.

Better to die in a hospital where the doctors can lie to you in your own language.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some employers can be totally ruthless about sacking people when ill. I am lucky - I have a good employer.
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Stephen Jones



Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2004 1:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We use the Royal Commission hospitals here. I fail to see why Scot 47 thinks government hospitals are so bad. I certainly would prefer the government health system in Jubail to the private one.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Fri Apr 30, 2004 5:35 am    Post subject: medical cover Reply with quote

I have not been impressed by Government Hospitals in KSA. Maybe the Royal Commission Hospitals are better ?

Anyway I think the 205SR a month I currently pay for private cover is well worth it.
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Stephen Jones



Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124

PostPosted: Fri Apr 30, 2004 1:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had a friend who worked in the Health Service admin around Riyadh. He was friends with his line manager, who was a great and strange guy - he was from Buraidah, had a degree in Islamic theology, spoke fluent German, smoked the best hash in Saudi, and quite unrelated to that last fact, died in a car crash a few years ago.

Anyway the Health Ministry decided to get this line manager to head a Swat team for the Central Hospital (Al-Shemaizy in Riyadh). He took my friend along as part of his team. The first thing they did was a list of deficiencies (the fact that the only computer software installed were games and the odd bit of porn came on page one, that the Egyptian doctors would regularly leave patients waiting in emergency whilst they drank tea and ate falafell sandwiches came on page 2 - the fact that the air -conditioners rarely worked came on page 3 and so on). They were in their second day there, and up to page 17 in the deficiency list, when my friend's boss picked up the list and threw it on the floor in disgust, announcing that he had had enough and was applying to be transferred back to his old job.

There are great differences in the quality of government hospitals. The best in Riyadh is the military hospital (I believe that they still have westerners as nurses, never mind doctors) which would be top class in Europe, and you go downhill from there. The Royal Commission Health provision is on a par with good health provision in the west. Many of our staff have chosen to have semi-serious elective surgery done here, and a couple have recovered from life-threatening emergencies. There are also private hospitals in Jubail, mainly used by employees of the factories here (both Saudis and others). They appear to be of the same standard as the private hospitals in Dammam or Riyadh, but the general consensus of opinion is that the Royal Commissions hsopitals are better, and the primary health care is much more thorough.
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Saudi4Ever



Joined: 25 Mar 2004
Posts: 135

PostPosted: Sat May 01, 2004 4:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have had two surgeries here. a cesearean and a gall bladder removal. I survived! They were both at Government hospitals. I found the surgions to be great. The General Practictioners need to go to some seminars or something and the nurses are not like nurse in America. they are more like aids. I usually diagoise myself and then get a second opnion from the doctors. I recently had a sdevere sinus infection that went misdiagnoised by three doctors. So I went to see my surgeon (now a family friend) and he agreed with me that it indeed was a sinus infection and sent me for xrays which confirmed it and then sent me to a ENT doctor.

I have visited people in the Royal Commision hospitals. Another reason why I would like for dh to work for YIC (I only saw Jubails RC Hopital) because there hospitals are very nice. I think I must have been the first american woman to have surgury in a Goverbnment hospital because I was treated like Royality. Everyone wanted to know who the American patient was.

Bring your own medical books or look stuff up on the web before you go see a doctor. It is best to be as informed as you can because they do not give you much information (but they will give you drugs for everything!). If you are tird and need a break they will also admit you to the hospital for a headache if you complain enough. When I was there the place was full of maids who had tummy aches and were under observation. They seemed very happy there.
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