MOH News

 

The forum opened with the reading of verses from the Quran. Director of the MOH’s Nursing Department and Chairman of the Forum Organizational Committee, Dr. Monira AlOsaimi, then spoke about nursing in the Kingdom and its advances in providing improved healthcare services. She indicated that establishing Nursing General Directorate in the Ministry of Health has made a quantum leap in the quality of the nursing community.

Dr. Al Osaimi added that the forum aims to benefit from the recent advances in the field of scientific and practical nursing by introducing nursing commissions to the latest studies and researches. She also expressed her gratitude to the Minister for sponsoring the forum, which is focused on improving nursing and implementing the policies of Nursing General Directorate.

Afterwards, Riyadh Health Affairs General Manger, Dr. Adnan Al Abdul Kareem,explained that the opening ceremony of the forum and Gulf Nursing Day also coincide with the Kingdom’s celebration of the safe return of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. By sponsoring this forum, the Minister underscores his commitment to improving the quality of the Kingdom’s health services in every sector. Dr. Al Abdul Kareem expressed his great appreciation to the Executive Affairs Deputy Minister, Dr. Mansour Al Hawasi, Director General of the Executive Office of the GCC Health Ministerial Council, Dr. Tawfiq Khoja,and WHO representative for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Dr. Awad Abu Zeid Mukhtar for attending the ceremony.

Dr. Al Abdul Kareem also stressed the importance of excellence in nursing as a key factor in providing patients with the best possible quality of healthcare.He presented a summary of the directorate’s accomplishments in supporting specialized nursing, enhancing work environment and training the local population in order to reduce the country's dependence on expatriate labor. In 2010, the number of nurses working in nursing commissions at private and public health facilities in Riyadh reached 9,977. Dr. Al Abdul Kareem called upon Nursing Commission members participating in the forum to take advantage of the forum’s events to improve their own skills and job performance.

Director General of the Executive Office of the GCC Health Ministerial Council, Dr. Tawfiq Khouja, then gave a talk about the importance of nursing to the healthcare field. Nursing, he explained, combines a unique combination of compassion, practical skills and knowledge to deal with people in need of medical care.

The growth in the health services industry during the past century also raised the level of nursing services in the GCC states, transforming the field from the status of volunteer work to a true profession. 

Because of this transformation, nursing institutes were established in Gulf countries during the second half of the 20th century, starting with Saudi Arabia in 1958, Bahrain in 1959, Kuwait in 1960, Qatar in 1969, Oman in 1970 and finally the United Arab Emirates in 1973.

Dr. Khoja expressed his belief that the Saudi Nursing Forum, now in its second year, will present new ideas that will help to improve nursing in all the GCC countries and in Saudi Arabia in particular. The forum follows Gulf Nursing Day’s theme of “Gulf Nursing: Care, Uniqueness and Giving.”  The purpose of all of the events is to enhance the skills and abilities of nurses to enable them to provide high quality nursing services in accordance with international standards.

Dr. Al Hawasi delivered the forum’s opening speech with the statement that advances in nursing are considered one of the main factors in the rapid developments in the healthcare field.

He added that in accordance with directives from the Kingdom’s leaders to provide comprehensive healthcare services to all citizens and residents, MOH has supported the nursing sector by implementing internal and external scholarship programs to afford nursing commission members highest possible quality of education.

In addition, Dr. Al Hawasi said that this forum is the outcome of the Minister of Health’s unlimited support of the nursing profession.

He also congratulated “Nursing Leadership” program graduates.

The opening ceremony included a documentary film about nursing in the Kingdom and the professional expectations of nursing commission members. In addition, the ceremony included a graduation march of “Nursing Leadership” program graduates for 2011. Graduates and distinguished participants were honored, and there was a musical performance by a group of children about nursing’s humanitarian message and its progress in the Kingdom.