The Director General of the Specialized Centers and Visiting Physicians Affairs at the Ministry of Health (MOH), Dr. AbdullahAl-Wade'i, has pointed out that MOH has inaugurated a number of cardiac centers in peripheral regions, in line with its vision aiming at the development of health services as well as upgrading them; so as to conform with the global specificationsand standards.
Moreover, Dr. Al-Wade'i has expounded that Prince Sultan Kidney & Heart Center (PSK&HC) in Najran has started offering its services to patients. The Ministry has also operated a cardiac centerin the Northern Borders Region, where 4 open heart surgeries were conducted as well as more than 120 diagnostic catheterizations and 30 therapeutic catheterizations were performed. Prince Sultan Cardiac Center (PSCC) in Hufoof has also started conducting typical operations for the first time in the kingdom, only three days after obtaining the accreditation from the European Cardiac Complex. Such operations have achieved remarkable success.It is noteworthy that the integrated work at Meadina Cardiac Centre, including pediatric cardiac surgeries, has also been launched.
Dr. Al-Wade'i went on adding that the Ministry has approved establishment of 3 cardiac centers as a part of the budget of this fiscal year 1434/1435H; including the Cardiac Center in Jazan, the Cardiac Center in Tabuk, and the Cardiac Center in Taif, with a bed capacity of 100 beds at each one of them; thus, the number of the MOH specialized cardiac centers raises up to 12 specialized medical centers, spread over the various regions and governorates of the Kingdom.
Within the same vein, Dr.Al-Wade'i has revealed that the MOH has approved establishment of 3 specialized oncology centers as a part of the budget of this fiscal year 1434/1435H, thus, the number of the MOH specialized oncology centers raises up to 8 centers, bringing the number of oncology and cardiac centers to reach 21 specialized centers all over the Kingdom’s regions.
He also indicated that oncology centers with a total bed capacity of 300 beds will be established in the governorates of Al-Ahsa, Hail and Jazan, adding that, the Ministry is currently establishing oncology centers in Madinah, as well as Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz Medical City in Jouf, and in King Faisal Medical City in the Southern Regions.
Furthermore, Dr. Al-Wade'ihas stressed that the distribution of the MOH advanced Cardiac and Oncology Centers, numbering 13 specialized centers with a total capacity of 1259 beds across the Kingdom’s regions, positively reflects the low number of the referral cases of patients suffering from these diseases from all peripheral regions of the Kingdom to the main regions.
These centers also contributed, through their specialized services, to reduce the number of the referral cases to the major cities; given that, these services are rendered for patients with tumors in their places of residence, avoiding them hardship and trouble of traveling outside their home areas. In addition, the MOH future plan comprises, as a part of its National Project for Integrated and Comprehensive Health Care, the expansion of establishing such centers to cover all Saudi regions.
Moreover, Dr. Al-Wade'i has clarified that these projects come as part of the National Project for Integrated and Comprehensive Health Care, which aims at achieving justice and inclusivenessin the distribution of medical services as well as accessibility, in an endeavor to provide better health services to citizens and the gain their satisfaction, according to the directives and aspirations of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness The Crown Prince, May Allah protect them.
Dr. Al-Wade'i has kept on adding that MOH has conducted a study on all statistics of patients in the various regions of the Kingdom, thereference hospitals and the medical cases referred abroadto receive treatment at the expense of the state, and created a database; in order to develop a strategy for the inauguration of specialized centers in the difficult specialties such as oncology, cardiology, kidney and diabetes in the future covering all regions of the Kingdom.
Within the same vein, Dr. Al-Wade'i has expounded that specialized committees have been formed comprising all health sectors in the Kingdom in order to study the current situation in each specialty, develop a national strategic plan and work basics and unifythe procedures followed by all specialized centers; in an endeavor to upgrade processes in such centers and raise the level of performance with regard to providing the medical services in order to conform to the international standards. That is to be added to participatingin the development and study of designs and equipment required for these centers.
Furthermore, Dr. Al-Wade'i noted that the Oncology Committee and Injuries Committees have launched their meetings with the participation of consultants and specialists in each of the oncology and injuries centers in the Kingdom.
Then, Dr. Al-Wade'i underscored that the Ministry has conducted a study on the current situation of the cardiac centers in the Kingdom, and the development of their work standards, in an endeavor to provide excellent medical servicein the field of diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases to patients in their place of residence without having to undergo the trouble of traveling to cardiac centers in the major cities and wait for long periods of time to book appointments.
Dr. Al-Wade'ihas pointed out that MOH has managed, through the Specialized Centers and Visiting Physicians Affairs General Department, to coordinate with the different regions of the Kingdom;in order to provide the specialized centers with an elite of consultants in all medical specialties, especially the rare and difficult ones, through attracting such consultants from the medically-advanced countries, communicating directly with the global centers that are advanced in the necessary specialties, and signing partnerships with those centers.
Finally, Dr. Al-Wade'i has noted that the work is done in accordance with the MOH’s strategic plan for the decade 1430-1440H and its vision to develop and upgrade the health services.