Abstract

Introduction: As communities continue to grow and age, the frequency of acute health emergencies in-creases. Notably life‑threatening emergencies, acute exacerbation of chronic diseases, and many other health issues which require rapid assessment, management and need to receive the most attention. To achieve this, any reform must be informed by adequate knowledge of the healthcare system and the health of the nation in general. This study aims to provide this knowledge by highlighting some of the healthcare deficiencies in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data taken from NHCC. data will cover the period from 01/03/2021 to 20/06/2021. The sample size is 5593. Results: A majority of the referral cases came from Riyadh (30.1%) followed by Jizan (21.8%). In relation to referral by specialty, 22.5% were referred to internal medicine, 14.6% were referred to ICU, while 13.1% of the cases were to cardiology. With regards to the reasons for referral, 59.1% of the cases were referred because of lack of specialty, while 38.0% of the cases were referred due to lack of facilities. Conclusion: It can be deduced that sone of the possible healthcare deficiencies is inadequate specialists or facilities in some areas. It means that some regions do not have enough medical personnel to deal with particular conditions. Moreover, it shows that most facilities are not well-prepared and equipped to handle the number and complexity of cases and it is thereby for this reason that they are compelled to refer patients to other facilities with the resources to handle these cases.