Custodian of the two holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz announced several Royal orders whereby he reshuffled the cabinet, changing four ministers, including the minister of health. Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Rabeeah, who has gained reputation through leading surgical operations for seperating Siamese twins, has been appointed Minister of Health. We provide hereunder the CV of the new minister.
CV of the Minister of Health Dr. Al-Rabeeah
Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Rabeeah was born in Makkah Al-Mukarramah in 1954, graduated from the faculty of medicine, King Saud University in 1979. He has been serving as the executive director general for health affairs at the National Guard since 2003 and as the vice chancellor of King Saud University for Health Sciences since May 2005.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah accomplished his internship service on August 31, 1980. He is a holder of many certificates and fellowships, including M.Sc. in Surgical Sciences from Alberta University, Canada (June 1950), Fellowship of Pediatric Surgery from Alberta University (Dec 1986), Fellowship of General Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons, Canada (Dec 1986), Fellowship of Pediatric Surgery from IWK Pediatric Hospital, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (Dec 1987).
He obtained the license for practicing medicine in the Kingdom in 1981 and since then worked hardly for improving the health sector. He participated in the establishment of pediatric surgery units in a number of hospitals, including King Khalid University Hospital, King Faisal Specialist Hospital, as well as King Abdul Aziz Medical City of the National Guard in Riyadh and Jeddah.
He has held a number of administrative and academic positions:
- Assistant professor at King Saud University, Riyadh from 1988 to 1991.
- Pediatric Surgery Consultant at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh from 1988 to 1991.
- Director of resident surgeons training program at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh from 1989 to 1991.
- Deputy Head of Physicians at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh from Aug 1990 to Sep 1990.
- Pediatric surgery consultant at King Fahad Hospital, National Guard, Riyadh since 1990.
- Pediatric surgery consultant at King Khalid Hospital, National Guard, Jeddah since 1990.
- Pediatric surgery consultant at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh since 1991.
- Director of resident physicians training program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, from 1994 to 1996.
- Codirector of the Medical Executive Committee at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, from 1994 to 1995
- Deputy Executive Director General for Health Affairs, National Guard, from 1995 to 2003.
- Deputy President of the College of Nursery and Assistant Medical Sciences at King Abdul Aziz Medical City in Riyadh, from 2001 to 2003.
- Executive Director General for Health Affairs, National Guard, since 2003.
- President of the College of Nursery and Assistant Medical Sciences, King Abdul Aziz Medical City in Riyadh, from 2003 to 2004.
- Head of the Academy of King Abdul Aziz Medical City for health Sciences from 2004 to 2005.
- Vice Chancellor of King Saud University for health Sciences, King Abdul Aziz Medical City, since 2005.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah has participated in a number of executive committees:
Committees of the Council of Ministers, such as the Health Services Council, the Cooperative Health Insurance Council, the Board of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (till 2008), the High Council for Higher Education, the Board of Trustees of King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, the Committee for reviewing the national salaries system for physicians, technicians, and health care specialists, the Committee for reviewing private activities of physicians at government facilities, the Committee for operating King Fahad Medical City.
Committees of the Ministry of Health, such as the Committee for reviewing the surgery curriculum at the College of Health Sciences, the Committee for Coordinating Training for the Pediatric Surgery Program, the Scientific Council of the General Surgery Program, committees of King Khalid University Hospital, the committee for Recruiting physicians from India, committees of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, the Disasters Committee, the Nutrition Committee, the Outpatient Clinics Committee, the Committee for selecting resident physicians, committees of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center.
Certain national Committees such as the committee for selecting winners of King Faisal International Awards, the General Assembly of Prince Fahad bin Salman Charitable Society for Caring Kidney Failure Patients, the Committee for selecting winners of the prizes of the Disabled Children Society.
Honorary member of a number of committees such as the Saudi Society for Medical Education and committees of the Directorate of Health Affairs at the National Guard.
He has supervised the establishment and extension of a number of health and educational projects:
- The Heart Medicine and Surgery Center at King Abdul Aziz Medical City, National Guard, Riyadh.
- The Hemodialysis Unit at King Abdul Aziz Medical City, National Guard, Riyadh
- The Intensive Care Unit for newborns at King Abdul Aziz Medical City, National Guard, Riyadh.
- King Abdul Aziz Hospital of the National Guard in Al-Ahsa.
- Imam Abdul Rahman Al Al-Faisal Hospital, National Guard in Dammam.
- Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Hospital.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah is holder of a number of medals and awards:
- King Abdul Aziz Medal, Grade Distinction, Nov 2003.
- King Abdul Aziz Medal, First order, Nov 2002.
- Medal of Merit, First Order, from the Republic of Poland in Aug 2005.
- Medical Military Medal of Merit from the American army (2003).
- Distinction Medal in pediatric surgery and separation of Siamese twins from the Polish Medical Academy (2007).
- Medal of the Polish Physicians Board for Humanitarian Services (2008).
He has participated in compiling more than 51 arbitrated research works and books, submitted more than 52 papers at medical conferences, symposia, workshops, etc.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah is a specialist in separating Siamese twins. He has successfully separated 20 complicated cases of Siamese twins, whereas three Siamese cases are now on the waiting list.
He has also obtained international expertise in handling pancreatic diseases in infants, including the supervision of 65 such cases.
He is also concerned with burning chemicals in children which cause burning of respiratory and digestive tracts. He is now following 50 such cases.
He is also active in strategic health planning and education on the national level