King Salman Hospital brings home two wins at Healthcare Asia Awards 2025

It brought home the Secondary Hospital of the Year - Saudi Arabia and the Clinical Service Initiative of the Year - Saudi Arabia awards.

King Salman Hospital (KSH) landed two wins at the prestigious Healthcare Asia Awards 2025 for the remarkable improvements it has made in the past two years in its key performance indicators (KPI), which have aligned with the facility’s strategic goals.

Amongst the KPIs it has improved is the average length of stay (ALOS) in its adult intensive care units (ICU), in which the hospital has addressed its high ICU utilisation, resulting in an increased length of stay for patients and higher expenses due to the ICU's 13-bed capacity.

Establishing a six-bed step-down unit in 2023, KSH has seen a significant 49% decrease in the ALOS from 6.1 days in 2022 to 2.9 days by the end of 2024.

KSH has also developed a virtual digital health centre to enable patients to get medical care. Whether for follow-up or new appointments, the app has increased access to care and reduced the patients’ visits to hospitals and healthcare centres for non-emergency cases.

Lastly, KSH has also improved the number of surgical operations performed within its facilities. Its administration has targeted the execution of over 7,000 surgeries annually by the end of 2024.

To reach this target, multiple action plans have been implemented, such as increasing the utilisation of the operation rooms to ensure full capacity, conducting surgical operations during the weekend, opening new slots in the evening until 10 pm, and hiring new staff of consultants and specialists to satisfy the increased demand.

Other initiatives include collaboration between KSH and other hospitals to utilise their operation rooms by KSH staff, as well as the establishment of a new operating room for minor ophthalmology surgical operations in KSH, which has also contributed to the increase in operations.

By the end of December 2024, KSH had reached 8,000 surgical operations, which is more than the target.

It has received the Secondary Hospital of the Year - Saudi Arabia during the coveted awards programme for these improvements.

Meanwhile, the hospital has also developed an innovative Obesity Management Unit to enhance its Population Health Management and address obesity as a significant public health challenge globally.

The Obesity Management Unit in KSH uses a comprehensive assessment process that includes medical history, lifestyle behaviours, and biometric data to identify high-risk populations. By stratifying risk, the unit can prioritise care for individuals facing the greatest health challenges and implement targeted prevention efforts.

The initiative has also enabled personalised dietary plans designed to promote healthy eating habits, orientation about the available options for obesity management, structured exercise programmes to encourage physical health and fitness, and counselling services to address the emotional and psychological aspects of obesity.

The Obesity Management Unit in KSH recognises the importance of demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of obesity management strategies. By focussing on preventive care and early intervention, the unit aims to reduce the long-term burden of chronic diseases associated with obesity.

KSH nabbed the Clinical Service Initiative of the Year - Saudi Arabia category win for this robust strategy.

Healthcare Asia Awards honours exceptional hospitals across the region that have redefined the standards of excellence in the industry through their innovative solutions and substantial contributions to communities.

The Healthcare Asia Awards is presented by Healthcare Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your organisation's remarkable initiatives and contributions to the healthcare industry, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez at [email protected].