This morning, the 78th Regular Meeting of the Executive Body of GCC Health Ministers Council has been launched. The three-day meeting is held at the premise of the Executive Board of GCC Health Ministers Council, located in the Embassies District, Riyadh.
The Director General of the Executive Board, Prof. Tawfik bin Ahmed Khojah, has stated that the Executive Body is to discuss a set of technical issues, including combating non-communicable diseases, quality of health care services, patient safety, mental health, neurological disorders, smoking control, occupational health, organ transplantation, school health, adolescent health, youth health, Dubai Declaration on Maternal and Child Health, launched under the theme: “Together to Overcome the Challenge”, with the aim of accelerating the achievement accomplished towards realizing (Objective 4) and (Objective 5) of the Millennium's Developmental Objectives in the East-Mediterranean Region. That's to be added discussing and assessing the issue of Qatar Hospital for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Doha, aside from discussing the recognition of Rashed Center for Diabetes and Research in Ajaman as a Gulf accredited, unified center.
Among the issues to be covered by the meeting also, according to Prof. Khoja, are nursing care, oral and dental health, discussing the proposal of establishing Gulf Grand Challenges, after the pattern of Canadian institution, along with the Expatriates Program, announcing the Arab Peninsula free of malaria, e-linking information centers at GCC states to the Executive Board and enhancing health information systems. That's to be added to smart cards, the technical committees pertinent to the Executive Board, unified procurement, pharmaceuticals tender, hospital supplies tender, artificial kidney tender, and oral and dental care tender, as well as the supplies necessary for laboratories and blood banks, the supplies needed for cardiovascular surgeries, interventional radiology, in addition to the supplies necessary for orthopedic and spinal surgeries, medical rehabilitation supplies, central drug registration, drug pricing, among other administrative, financial and organizational topics.
“Besides,” said Prof. Khoja, “the meeting will be discussing preparations for holding the 75th Conference of GCC Council of Health Ministers in Geneva during the upcoming month. The conference is to be held on the sidelines of the meetings of the WHO General Assembly. The time and place of the conference will be determined, and the agenda proposed to ministers will be approved.”
It didn't escape Prof. Khoja's notice to welcome members of the Executive Body of the GCC Council of Health Ministers, who are the guests of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Executive Board of the GCC Council of Health Ministers. He wished that the conference will be a success, that comes up with constructive recommendations fulfilling the Governors' aspirations.