IBN SINA MEDICAL COLLEGE
BIOGRAPHY
Rashad Kashgari is the Dean of Ibn Sina Medical College. He is a graduate of King Saud College of Medicine and received a professional qualification from the Royal Colleges of Surgeons in Glasgow. He held positions as an associate professor of surgery and was a founding member of the Council of the Saudi Board of Surgery. He was the founding president of the Saudi Society of General Surgery and the founding dead of Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies.
What are the major updates since we last met in early 2018?
We are working toward to Vision 2030. We are trying to keep up with digital learning, computer-based exams, and virtual classrooms. We now have a master's program in clinical pharmacy, approved by the Ministry of Education.
Looking at tertiary care, how can Saudi nationals be encouraged to undergo surgery and specialized medical services in Saudi Arabia rather than traveling abroad?
Tertiary care is an expensive service. From the private sector point of view, you can provide the service only if there are paying customers, which means that developing tertiary care will not be an easy process by the private sector. The government sector has tertiary care, but it will be complex for the public and private sector to build both the required infrastructure and attract the customer base.
Do you think medical insurance implementation would strike a balance between profitability and wider access to care?
Insurance, which is still a new concept for Saudis, will make the patient suffer. Unfortunately, the patient will be looked at primarily as a customer rather than an individual who needs healthcare. Profit motive will override the sector's focus on care, as has happened in many countries. Cost will become the dominant consideration in medical care. There is the potential, too, for people to go bankrupt due to medical expenses that they cannot afford. For this reason, insurance privatization can have unintended negative consequences for people, as insurance companies want to make a profit with the bare minimum of services. Insurance companies will deny coverage whenever they can. The patient, at the end of the day, will be a number. The people who have money will get treatment and the people who do not will only get a minimum level of care.
IBN SINA MEDICAL COLLEGE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Mohammed A. Al-Mowkley , Deputy Minister of Water Services, Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture & CEO, National Water Company (NWC)
NWC leads the Kingdom's efforts to preserve water as a non-renewable national resource and drastically reduce the average per capita water consumption.
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Majed H. Al Saadi , Managing Director, Priority Projects Office (PPO), Local Content and Government Procurement Authority
PPO and ECA act as an accelerator for the realization of Vision 2030 by bridging the gap between the private and public sectors and helping the government diversify the economy in the long run.
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HRH Princess Hala bint Khaled bin Sultan Al-Saud C, Chairman, Saudi Law Conference (SLC) organizing committee & Founder,, Burhan Almarifa
Burhan Almarifa is focused on maturing the legal sector, encouraging innovation, and enabling research and development in KSA through knowledge transfer and consultancy.
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Sahel N. Abduljauwad, Rector, King Fahd University oF Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM)
The King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals has long been the backbone of Saudi Arabia's formidable drilling expertise. Today, it is working to train the next generation of renewable energy and water management scientists.
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Dr. Abdullah Al-Rubaish, Rector, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University (IAU)
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rubaish was appointed vice president of KFU in 2007 and president in 2010. He combined his executive experience from serving in various deanships at KFU with academic practices to become associate professor of medicine and work as a medical consultant at the Department of Internal Medicine. He graduated from KFU's College of Medicine and completed his medical internship at KFHU, where he also pursued a fellowship program. He became a member of the UK Royal College of Physicians and the Arab Board after he completed his sub-subspecialty in Pulmonary Medicine at the University of Alberta, Canada.
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Rajaa Moumena, Founder & President, Future Institute of Higher Education and Training
Saudi Arabia is allowing women more privileges, including driving and becoming ambassadors. The Future Institute of Higher Education and Training is trying to help by providing courses they need to adapt to this new world.
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