His Excellency, the Deputy Minister of Health for Planning and Development, Dr. Mohammad bin Hamza Khoshaim, during the meeting with Assistant Directors of Health Affairs for Projects and Engineering Affairs, and Directors of Maintenance in all regions of the Kingdom, emphasized the importance of adopting the principle of transparency and clarity when dealing with contractors who carry out the Ministry's projects, as well as adhering to the terms and conditions stipulated by contracts for awarding health projects by the Ministry.
During the opening of the meeting dubbed: “Towards Better Maintenance”, His Excellency said that this meeting comes within the framework of His Excellency the Minister’s interest in the subject of operation and maintenance and the need for a serious stand to review and evaluate what has been accomplished within the past four years.
Dr. Khoshaim added, “Maintenance is one of the important topics that receive a great deal of the Ministry's concern, taking into account that a particular emphasis should be placed upon it. This meeting will discuss obstacles that maintenance directors encounter in all regions of the Kingdom, and work to come up with solutions to overcome the obstacles hindering approved projects in the Kingdom’s regions.”
He stressed on the necessity of keeping up with the great development and advancement that the Ministry is approaching by expanding in carrying out health projects in all of the Kingdom’s regions and provinces. Also, he pointed out that this is a great responsibility for everyone to incur. He also called upon everyone to exert greater efforts and work rapidly to overcome such obstacles; because, unless solid plans are put forward to overcome such obstacles, the Ministry's ongoing expansion will pose even greater, embarrassing, challenges in the days to come.
Dr. Khoshaim indicated that financial allocations have increased more than ever, and that requires high output to gain patients’ satisfaction in a way that conforms to the development witnessed in the Ministry; as the bed capacity will increase from 35 thousand beds to 66 thousand beds in the future. Thus, all potentials should be devoted to sustain and utilize the budget as best as possible in order to improve the service. He stressed on the fact that this workshop will identify maintenance problems, with the aim to find solutions for them, no matter how difficult the problems and challenges are.
Concluding his statement, Dr. Khoshaim called for calculating and planning due to the ever-growing responsibility on the Ministry since they are facing a great expansion in the Ministry. He stressed on the significance of coming up with the best solutions that would insure improving the maintenance situation and reduce problems.
For his part, Dr. Salah Al-Mazrou, the Deputy Minister of Health for Supply and Engineering Affairs, said, “The Ministry is currently witnessing a quantum leap, and that reviewing contracts, motivating engineers (especially medical engineers), organizing training programs, and reviewing the organizational structure for these departments are all of crucial importance. That is to be able to review contracts and receive the new or old hospitals as well as equipment.”
Dr. Al-Mazrou added that all officials and employees at the maintenance department in regions and provinces have great experience and need the Ministry’s support; pointing out that this meeting stems out from the fact that the Ministry is keen on setting comprehensive plans for all regions, creating constant connection between the Ministry and engineers to identify points of weakness and strength to enhance them.
He added that the non-stop problems faced by the Ministry in maintenance have to do not only with projects, but equipment as well. He underscored the importance of communication and coordination with regions.
For his part, the Assistant Undersecretary of Engineering Affairs, Eng. Ahmad Al-Beiz, clarified that the meeting will be held for three days and will discuss the importance of preventive maintenance for maintaining equipment and systems as well as discussing the requirements of the execution of preventive maintenance, new strategies of preventive maintenance, the validations of the quality and special conditions concerning preventive maintenance contracts. In addition, it will discuss approved standards for maintenance contracts, non-medical operation, operational plan for new hospitals, reviewing the database for maintenance work as for restricting locations, hospitals, specialized centers, as well as restricting contracts, their details, costs and specialized places for maintenance and specialized work.
Also, he explained that among the points that will be discussed are categorization of medical devices, categorization of the overlap between medical non-medical maintenance work, subcontracts, capital equipments, medical maintenance programs, medical equipment standards and the importance and categorization of technicians.