The 61st meeting of the Council of Health Services was held on Sunday, June 10th, 2012, under the chairmanship of His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Bin AbdulAziz Al Rabeeah. The meeting took place in the Secretariat of the Council headquarter, and was attended by members of the Council from public and private health sectors. The meeting discussed a variety of the topics on the agenda, which were analyzed and studied by the Preparatory Committee of the Council, national health committees, as well as other related committees.
Moreover, the Council approved the recommendations of Anesthesia Risks and Complications Conference. The recommendations stipulate that anesthesiology physicians must be trained for at least 4 years and registered at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS). In addition, anesthesiology specialists must attend workshops and training courses once or twice a year. Furthermore, patients have the right to receive proper pain management after surgery; before leaving the recovery room, as well as other recommendations.
At the end of the meeting, the Secretary-General of the Council of Health Services, Dr. Yaqoub Al Mazro'a, clarified that the Council has agreed to develop a national strategy to combat tooth decay, with the participation of all health sectors and concerned bodies. Several studies proved that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is facing very high levels of tooth decay among children; the main reason of tooth loss.
He added that the Council has approved launching a comprehensive national health promotion project, entitled “Sultan Bin Abdulaziz National Health Promotion Campaign”. The project will be carried out by the Ministry of Health (MOH), in coordination with public and private health sectors, covering all health promotion fields. It is noteworthy that the campaign will be funded by the government, as well as donations from the public and the private sectors.
In addition, within the framework of the exerted efforts to improve healthcare quality, Dr. Al Mazro'a pointed out that the Council had discussed national health centers and their several fields, and directed the Secretariat of the Council to conduct a study on this matter, in compliance to the Royal Decree to accredit national health centers by the Council before constructing them.
In conclusion, Dr. Al Mazro'a stated that the Council has confirmed the safety and effectiveness of dental amalgam fillings. This was based on recommendations made by a high-level committee consisted of deans of dentistry colleges and dental pioneers. They reviewed several recommendations made by scientific organizations, and scientific research stating that these fillings are durable, safe and cost effective.