His Excellency the Vice Minister of Health for Planning and Development, Dr. Mohammed bin Hamzah Khushaim, has sponsored today (Sunday) noon the ceremony of signing the first agreement between the Kingdom and the Ministry of Health in the Republic of Cuba under the scope of the Visiting Doctor Program. It is noteworthy that the agreement was signed by the Cuban Ambassador to the Kingdom, Mr. Enrique Enriquez, and the MOH Assistant Deputy Minister for Hospital Affairs, Dr. Aqeel bin Jam'aan Al-Ghamdi.
After signing the agreement at the Ministerial Office of the Vice Minister of Health for Planning and Development, Dr. Khushaim underscored that Cuba is characterized by the large number of the distinguished medical cadres, especially in the rare specialties. Also, the Cubans have expressed their desire to send consultant physicians, and other medical cadres working in the field of nursing to the Kingdom in accordance with the conditions agreed thereupon between the two countries.
This agreement includes contracting with highly-skilled Cuban consultant physicians with rare specialties, needed in the Ministry of Health, to work in the required places in the Kingdom. The Cuban physicians will arrive at four stages annually, namely, a stage per three months.
This step will contribute to meeting the need of some classes of consultants in several areas in the Kingdom. The activity of the Cuban consultants includes servicing the patients, providing education and training, participating in improvement of the performance of MOH facilities and providing services for patients in their places. This matter will contribute to reducing the number of referrals of patients outside the areas of residence. The consultants will also have a look at and benefit from the international development of health facilities at the Ministry of Health as well as the high-value equipment and technology.
Within the same vein, Dr. Khushaim pointed out that this agreement is the fruit of our efforts exerted during the last 6 months. It is worth mentioning that a team from the Ministry of Health has paid a visit to the Republic of Cuba to have a look at hospitals and the level of health care in Cuba. It was turned out that there are large numbers of Cuban consultants who may be attracted to work in the Kingdom. After resolving all outstanding issues, both parties have agreed on the importance of cooperation between the two countries by sending a group of Cuban physicians and consultants with the rare specialties to the Kingdom.
For his part, the Kingdom's Cuban ambassador, praised the Saudi-Cuban relations, and the great progress it witnessed, saying "this agreement comes at the forefront of the constructive cooperation between the two brotherly countries, through which we are to provide our experience and efforts in the health field, which will contribute to boosting and improving the health care in the Kingdom's hospitals and health centers.
He went on adding that this agreement will be a motive for us to participate in the ambitious projects and programs which the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Health (MOH) carries out, pointing out that the agreement is considered a beginning for cooperation between the two counties. Currently, we are working on considering signing some other programs within the health field between the two countries, as well as strengthening the relations in a variety of fields which can come in handy in the future between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the Cuban ambassador made clear that the physicians in terms of the Cuban consultants and nursing specialists, have been chosen carefully and efficiently, and they are skilled at speaking and writing English. They are to arrive in the Kingdom within the upcoming weeks, this comes within the framework of implementing this program, which do us credit as Cubans, participating in it.
For his part, the Assistant Under-Secretary Minister for Hospitals, Dr. Aqeel bin Jama'an Al-Ghamd made clear that the first group of physicians is to include a number of on demand specialties such as adult intensive care, child and newborn intensive care, gynecology and obstetrics(female physicians), Kidney, Orthopedics, vascular Surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, retina, blood diseases medicine (children and adults).
He went on to add that this program is to last three years and it takes effect immediately after having it signed. It is to be renewed automatically for consecutive equivalent terms unless any of the two parties notified the other in writing that they would like to end it; this is to take place at least three months earlier than its ending period. He further made clear that this is a part of the MOH's keenness to upgrade its services and advance the level of its health facilities in line with the MOH's attitudes towards serving patients and gaining their satisfaction.