Measuring Inequalities in the Distribution of Health Professionals: The Case of Saudi Arabia

Background: The shortage of healthcare professionals and unequal distribution of health workers in many developing nations are widely recognized. Still, there has been limited effort to assess the level of inequality amongst healthcare professionals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This research investigates the distribution of physicians, dentists, nurses and midwives, and pharmacists among the 20 healthcare regions in the KSA. Materials and Methods: An analysis of secondary data was carried out using the Statistical Yearbook of the Saudi Ministry of Health for the year 2022. The research focused on determining the ratio of physicians, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists per 1,0000 people employed in the healthcare facilities of the Ministry of Health and the private sector in the 20 health regions of the KSA. The examination included evaluating the distribution of the healthcare professionals in different regions using the Lorenz curve, and the Gini coefficient. Results: There are fair distribution of physicians, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists across different regions. The mean Gini coefficient calculated for physician distribution was 0.11, dentists 0.08, nurses and midwives 0.16, and pharmacists 0.12 respectively, suggesting fair healthcare professionals distribution across regions. The research also highlighted the additional requirements for 4493 dentists, 69551 nurses and midwives, and 2811 pharmacists to adhere to the global benchmark of 8.2 dentists, 70.6 nurses and midwives, and 9.4 pharmacists per 10000 population. Conclusion: The research emphasizes the significance of focused healthcare planning and policy interventions to distribute healthcare professionals equally across the Kingdom's health regions.