About the Health Care System in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

I woke up one morning with a raging fever, unable to talk and tortured by a burning hot, swollen throat unlike anything I had had since a was a young child, phlegm filled lungs and waves of nausea. I could barely drag myself out of bed to text message my supervisor that I wouldn’t be coming in to work that day.

I knew I had to get myself to the doctor’s to get a note so that I could qualify for sick leave pay and lose out on the day’s pay, but I was so ill that I was tempted to simply stay home in bed.  After a long feverish, sweat soaked nap I managed to get dressed and walk out to the lobby and then out the front door to flag down a cab and get to the doctor’s office.

I was glad I had taken the time the month before to find the nearest clinic and find out what I needed in order to get registered for health care, so I had my passport and health care card ready, as well as a pamphlet with the clinic’s name, address, phone number and a map. It was such a relief to be able to pass over the pamphlet with a map and phone number the cabbie could call instead of having to croak out directions and try to communicate with someone who likely had as many words in English as I had in Arabic: about 10. 

Once at the clinic, I went to the front reception desk and was met by very efficient Filipino nursing staff who spoke excellent English. I only waited for 5 minutes before I got in to see a female doctor. She promptly diagnosed me with laryngitis, bronchitis and the flu and prescribed 3 antibiotic shots, which I received from the medical clinic on the other side of the lobby 20 minutes later.

I had never had shots like this before. I was shocked when I felt instantly better, within minutes. They only cost me about $6.00 in total, after my health care coverage was taken into account.

I felt human by the time I left the clinic, and felt my fever go down quickly. I was ready to go back to work within 2 days, which struck me as a minor miracle. Had I been back in Canada, they would likely have given me a prescription for antibiotic pills, told me to go home and rest and let things run their course, and I would have been really ill and off work for at least a couple of weeks.

So, as you can guess, I was left with a really positive impression of the health care system in Saudi Arabia.

As a result, here`s a recap of my recommendations:

-negotiate for health care plan as part of your contract, or if included, find out the specifics (is dental included? When does the plan take effect?)

-Visit the nearest clinic(s) to your home and find the best hospital for foreigners, and go there before you get sick in order to get a business card, brochure or pamphlet with Arabic as well as English, phone number(s), and a map / address,  so you know how to find it again, and also have something to give cab drivers.

-Follow up to make sure you get your health care insurance card as soon as is reasonably possible (six weeks or less is reasonable) after signing your contract and make a photocopy of the plan details and health care card as a safeguard.

About the Dental Care in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Good news!

The dental care in Saudi was exceptionally good and affordable, and the service I received was excellent. With my health plan coverage, the portion I ended up paying for some high quality dental work was peanuts compared to what I had been quoted in Canada and Chile.

For example, I paid $25.00 CAD (Canadian dollars) in the end for a marathon session of dental work that included getting my teeth cleaned, a number of fillings replaced and cavities filled, and  a major tooth reconstruction / filling replacement and a coating like a veneer on one of  my front teeth so it matched a nearby bridge and crown that no longer matched my natural teeth colour exactly. In comparison, the tooth reconstruction /fillling replacement alone had been quoted in Chile to cost me $2700.00 Canadian dollar and the front tooth coating at least $500.00 Canadian dollars.

It wasn't hard to find a dentist. Just ask around or drive around and look for buildings that look like clinics but have a tooth on the sign.

The dentist I found had been trained abroad and he spoke excellent English.The clinic was clean and modern.

Maybe I was just lucky, but I got in to get my teeth cleaned the same day that I made the appointment, and the kind dentist made room to do the rest of the work I needed done (about 4 hours worth) within the next 2 days, before I left the country.

That was over a year ago and the dental work has still held, and other dentists back home commented on the high quality of the work I had done.

As a result, I wish I had gotten all my dental work done as soon as I was given my health card, instead of waiting until the last week I was in Saudi Arabia. I could have been pain and worry free months earlier than I was.