The Gulf Conference on Primary Health Care and the Seventh Scientific Meeting of the Saudi Society for Family and Community Medicine closed sessions yesterday Wednesday June 6, 2007. Convened under the sponsorship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Opened by the Minister of Health, the conference attracted extensive participation from all over the Kingdom and the GCC countries, said MOH Undersecretary for Planning and Development and head of the High Steering Committee.
He said the conference yielded a number of important recommendations, as follows:
The conferees would like to raise their high appreciations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Al-Aziz for the sponsorship he offered to the conference activities. Appreciations are also extended to the Crown Prince HRH Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, to HRH Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz, the Honorary President of the Saudi Society of Family and Community Medicine, and to HH the Minister of Health Dr. Hamed bin Abdullah Al-Mane.
The conference adopts and supports the strategy of (A Doctor for Each Family) to be implemented in the GCC countries in accordance with agreed scientific norms and successful examples.
Calls for a system for motivating family and community doctors and workers at primary health care centers on the basis of quality achievements.
Rehabilitating a minimum of 20% of primary health doctors to be specialists in the field of family medicine during the coming ten years.
Utilizing the concept of Islamic waqf and international experiences in financing and operating family medicine and primary health care programs.
Boosting coordination and cooperation between health executives, societies and committees working in the field of family and community medicine.
Concentrating and coordinating comprehensive programs for controlling chronic diseases in the GCC countries under the umbrella of primary health care.
Supporting and facilitating voluntary contributions of doctors and other health workers.
Legalization of family medicine and primary health care programs provided by the private sector for ensuring quality and comprehensiveness.
Utilizing outpatient clinics in training postgraduate students following research studies on family medicine specialties.
The conference assigns the Executive Bureau of the GCC Council of Ministers of Health to follow up the above recommendations in coordination with relative GCC bodies.