Bahrain's Vibrant And Expanding Healthcare Sector
By Keith Boyfield,
*A Senior Fellow of the Euro-Gulf Information Centre.
IMPRESSIVE advances are being achieved across Bahrain’s burgeoning health sector, which promises to deliver real tangible benefits in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The global pandemic has triggered a heightened awareness of the opportunities to be seized through pro-active healthcare management.
Indeed, The Kingdom has emerged in relatively robust shape from the Covid-19 lockdown. It is now focusing on opening a range of advanced healthcare facilities, along with a fresh commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles. This is complemented by the pro-active monitoring of citizens’ medical profiles and backgrounds.
Demographic factors
Bahrain has a relatively modest population. The latest 2023 estimates reckon there are 1,553,886 inhabitants, of whom 45.5% are Asian and only 1% European.(1) The average age of Bahraini citizens is 32.9 years – nearly a fifth of them -just over 18% - are under 14 years of age.(2) The bar chart below shows the age distribution of Bahraini society. The ‘baby boom’ generation - currently aged between 30 and 60 - will inevitably present a new challenge for the healthcare system in future years. At least for the moment, Bahrain’s pensioner generation is exceptionally low: in fact, only 4% of the population is over 65.
Bahrainis born today can look forward to a life expectancy of 80, which ranks very well internationally.(3) As is generally well known, women can expect to live longer (82.45 years) than men (77.87 years).(4)
The infant mortality rate has been reduced to 9.98 deaths per 1000 live births, while the maternal mortality rate is also low at 16 deaths per 100,000 live births, although there is certainly scope for improvement (Bahrain ranks 136th in the world on this specific metric).(5)
Bahrain’s universal health system
Bahrain has boasted a universal health system since 1960. According to the latest World Bank figures, Bahrain devoted 4.72% of its total GDP to healthcare services in 2020. Undoubtedly, as in most countries of the world, this proportional share will have increased during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
Healthcare in the Kingdom is provided through a health insurance fund. Under the Health Insurance Law, number 23 of 2018, adopted on 1 December 2018, all Bahraini citizens - along with foreign residents - must pay for health insurance that covers 60% of the costs associated with private sector hospitals and clinics. This national health insurance system is administered by the National Health Regulatory Authority and its dedicated health fund is managed by the newly established Supreme Council of Health. An important aspect of this innovative system is the way in which peoples’ medical records will be collected and analysed by the expressly created Health Information & Knowledge Management Centre. This Centre’s mission is to make predictions about future healthcare needs and treatment. Moreover, this opens up the possibility – already beginning to be practised in Saudi Arabia – of digital health consultations and treatments.(6)
Indeed, Saudi Arabia’s health tech sector offers a paradigm approach to future healthcare across the Gulf, in which digital health solutions will underpin patient care. This pioneering transformation is not only an investment in the health of the population, but also a catalyst for economic diversification and sustainable development.
Bahrain’s primary healthcare sector
In contrast to neighbouring GCC states, most Bahraini doctors and nurse professionals are citizens of the Kingdom, educated in Bahrain and in leading academic institutions internationally.
Bahrain’s first hospital was established as far back as 1893, named the American Mission Hospital. The first state-run hospital in Bahrain was opened in 1957 in the Salmaniya neighbourhood of Manama, under the eponymous name Salmaniya Medical Complex. Many hospitals are privately run, notably the International Hospital of Bahrain, and patients are reimbursed through the recently established health fund covering both citizens and foreign nationals (employers are obliged to pay a contribution for health insurance of their foreign employees to this fund). The World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies Bahrain’s “good infrastructure in terms of advanced technologies and facilities” as one of the Kingdom’s medical strengths.(7)
According to WHO figures, Bahrain had 22.6 physicians per 10,000 population in 2017 with 45.4 nurses and midwives per 10,000 head of population. There were 3.7 dentists for the same share of population and 5.4 pharmacists.(8) However, as in many other countries across the world, the global shortage of health professionals remains a challenge.
The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic
As in many countries, the Covid-19 global pandemic wreaked alarming long-term damage on the population of Bahrain. Yet the Kingdom has fared better than many others. A total of 1503 deaths were recorded as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,(9) while the number of infections due to the rapidly evolving virus amounted to 641,534.(10) In response, the Kingdom was able to vaccinate all those in need: a total of 3,456,934 vaccines were dispensed according to Ministry of Health data.(11)
The BeAware Bahrain smartphone App, utilising cloud technology and location tracking, enabled the medical authorities to identify individuals who had been in contact with anyone with Covid-19 symptoms and to take prompt action.
Future Challenges
Like many advanced economies, Bahrain faces diseases and conditions caused by relative prosperity. The WHO estimate that 29.8% of the Kingdom’s population suffer from obesity(12) (by way of comparison, the equivalent figure in England is 25.6%).(13)High blood pressure afflicts 21.4 % of the population,(14) while cardiovascular disease was responsible for 26% of deaths as recorded by the WHO.(15) Diabetes killed a further 13%,(16) while cancers of various forms accounted for 13% of mortalities.(17) In the light of these statistics, the government is trying to dissuade people from smoking tobacco, as it is known as a contributory factor to heart problems and respiratory diseases.
Looking ahead, Bahrain intends to work with regional and international organisations, such as the Health Minister’s Council for GCC States, EMRO-WHO, and the World Bank, to tackle these threats to citizens’ health and well-being. In this regard, advances in digitalisation and DNA analysis should prove to be of great help and, in this context, Bahrain has been boosting its physical and social infrastructure to address these new challenges, often with the help of innovative public-private partnerships. For example, in 2019 the Royal Hospital for Women & Children was opened with a state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit. In addition, Bahrain Pharma was opened in 2020, the first ever pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in the Kingdom. These examples of innovative healthcare initiatives are indicative of the exciting opportunities and advances that are now being offered to citizens.
Today, the focus is on pro-active measures, as the Kingdom’s health system focuses on addressing current epidemiological challenges, primarily through promoting healthier lifestyles, exercise and diet. Clearly, the successful implementation of this strategy will be in everyone’s interests.
(19/06/2023)
Notes
(1) Source: CIA World Factbook
(2) Source: CIA World Factbook
(3) Source: CIA World Factbook
(4) Ibid.
(5) 2020 estimate, CIA World Factbook.
(6) ‘Saudi Arabia’s healthcare sector bets big on digital transformation’, https://www.arabnews.com/node/2311421/business-economy, 27 May 2023.
(7) Bahrain: Health Systems Profile WHO
(8) Source: all these figures are taken from Bahrain: Health Systems Profile WHO
(9) Source: https://www.reuters.com/graphics/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/countries-and-territories/bahrain/15 July 2022. Reuters obtained its data from the Ministry of Health, Bahrain.
(10) Ibid
(11) Ibid
(12) Bahrain: Health Systems Profile WHO
(13) The Health Survey for England 2021 estimates that 25.9% of adults in England are obese and a further 37.9% are overweight but not obese. Obesity is usually defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. BMI between 25 and 30 is classified as ‘overweight’. The survey, published in December 2022, found that men are more likely than women to be overweight or obese (68.6% of men, 59.0% of women).
(14) Bahrain: Health Systems Profile WHO
(15) Ibid
(16) Ibid
(17) Ibid
