Objectives: To highlight the disparity in the regional distribution of neurosurgical workforce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and to correlate the provision of neurosurgeons across the regions with several parameters.
Methods: The 13 administrative emirates of provinces in KSA were grouped into five geographical regions (central, western, eastern, southern, and northern). The density of neurosurgeons was calculated for each region. The distribution of neurosurgeons across the regions was correlated with several parameters using Pearson coefficient test.
Results: This study examined 238 neurosurgeons working in 85 neurosurgical centers in KSA. The regional median (range) density of neurosurgeons was 7.1 (3.1-10.2) per million population and 9.3 (2.3-23.3) per thousand square kilometer area. The regional provision of neurosurgeons correlated significantly with the distribution of KSA-national (p=0.031), KSA-certified (p=0.0004), Government Hospitals (GHs) (p=0.0012), and p