Evolution of healthcare in Saudi Arabia

Arab News

16-03-2025

After waiting for almost 15 years, I finally did it. Two weeks ago, I underwent a critical surgery called decompression of the spinal canal at King Abdulaziz Medical City, which is under the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs in Riyadh.
Like millions of people, I had lower back issues, which caused unpredictable waves of pain that had been a part of my life for almost two decades. To manage the pain, I used to take epidural steroid injections every few years.
Since I started experiencing this pain, every friend of mine persuaded me to avoid any spinal surgery, claiming that the results were not 100 percent guaranteed. I was also told that if I did decide to undergo surgery, it would be better to have it performed abroad, as the local healthcare system, whether public or private, was not equipped for such a critical and high-risk surgery.
Late last year, after a reception in London where I had to stand for almost four hours, I experienced severe sciatic nerve pain in my back, which radiated down to my left leg, where four injections and countless painkillers made no difference. After initial examinations, I was diagnosed with nerve root compression at the level of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae.
After consulting doctors, friends, and family, my brother-in-law, Dr. Abdulaleem Alatassi, an anesthesiologist and critical care consultant, highly recommended that I see Dr. Majed Aba Al-Khail, an orthopedic and spine surgery consultant, who has a successful track record in spinal surgery in the country.
The Kingdom solidified its cutting-edge position in critical scientific and medical research, reinforcing its leading role in positively impacting humanity.
I met Dr. Aba Al-Khail, and after reviewing my MRI, he immediately advised me to consider surgery without hesitation. A few days later, I was admitted to King Abdulaziz Medical City and began the countdown for the surgery. As I entered the operating room on the day of the surgery, I felt as though I was entering one of NASA's rooms.
I do not recall ever seeing such state-of-the-art and high-tech equipment as I did in that room. Thanks to Allah and Dr. Aba Al-Khail, I recovered quickly, and pain became a thing of the past.
Like King Abdulaziz Medical City, another example of innovation in treatments in the country is the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Recently, it successfully performed the world's first robotic-assisted implantation of an artificial heart pump developed by Abbott. This achievement builds on the center's legacy of performing the world's first fully robotic heart and liver transplants.
Speaking of NASA earlier, in a different yet related field, in 2023, when the Saudi Space Commission sent two Saudi astronauts on a space mission to perform scientific and medical experiments, the Kingdom solidified its cutting-edge position in critical scientific and medical research, reinforcing its leading role in positively impacting humanity. Hence, I am sharing my story to demonstrate the evolution of healthcare in the Kingdom.
• Basil M.K. Al-Ghalayini is chairman and CEO of BMG Financial Group.