An Overview of Quality and Accreditation in the Health Sector within Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian government has taken a range of positive steps in order to improve health services across the country. Since the 1970's, Saudi Arabia has been focusing on improving the quality of systems in the health care sector. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in accreditation programs in developing countries, and Saudi Arabia is one of the first Arab countries that implemented accreditation. In 2005, the Central Board of Accreditation for Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) was formed based on the recommendation and approval of Council of Health Services. The purpose of this board was to recognise public and private health services provisions. However, limited number of hospitals has been accredited by CBAHI. Despite the fact that the Saudi government has made great efforts to improve its health sector and to ensure that it is providing the best quality healthcare services, the government has been unable to overcome a number of obstacles to the effective application of quality such finance and qualified people.