Saudi Health Ministry: Surgery waiting times to be reduced to 12 days by the end of 2024
The healthcare system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia witnessed a radical and historic transformation by the end of 2024, achieving significant leaps in performance indicators. These included an unprecedented reduction in patient waiting times and a marked improvement in the efficiency of emergency departments. This strategic step culminates ongoing efforts aimed at enhancing the quality of healthcare and facilitating rapid and accurate access to treatment services for beneficiaries.
The latest official health performance indicators reveal the success of the Ministry of Health's operational plans in significantly reducing the average waiting time for outpatient appointments. The average has dropped from 36 days in 2017 to just 20 days by the end of this year. This substantial decrease in waiting times reflects a fundamental improvement in medical resource management and appointment governance mechanisms, enhancing the patient experience and ensuring access to specialized medical consultations in record time compared to previous years.
In a remarkable digital achievement that puts an end to the suffering caused by long waiting lists, data shows a decrease in the average waiting time for scheduled surgeries in operating rooms from 36 days in 2018 to just 12 days in 2024. This two-thirds reduction is a significant accomplishment that directly contributes to expediting medical interventions, preventing the worsening of medical conditions, and improving patient outcomes, thus placing the Kingdom among the leading countries in the speed of surgical service delivery.
A leap forward in emergency services and rapid response
In the area of emergency and critical care services, indicators showed a significant increase in the speed of professional response, with the percentage of patients treated within four hours jumping from 84.64% in 2017 to 91.20% by the end of 2024. This figure reflects improved efficiency in medical response, enhanced triage pathways, and increased readiness of healthcare teams around the clock, all of which contributed to raising the quality of service provided and reducing waiting times and overcrowding in emergency departments.
Vision 2030 and the Health Sector Transformation Program
These achievements cannot be separated from the broader context of Saudi Vision 2030 , specifically the Health Sector Transformation Program, which aims to restructure the health sector into a comprehensive, efficient, and integrated healthcare system. Significant investments in digital infrastructure and the implementation of modern care models have contributed to these figures. Digital solutions such as the "Sehhaty" app and the unified health record have played a prominent role in streamlining appointments and reducing wasted time and effort.
These figures are of paramount importance both regionally and internationally, as they underscore the Saudi healthcare system's capacity for adaptation and rapid growth. Reducing waiting times not only translates to patient comfort but also translates economically to less work-related downtime, increased operational efficiency in hospitals, and greater capacity to accommodate a larger number of patients with the same available resources, thus reinforcing the Kingdom's position as a leading healthcare destination in the Middle East.
