Today, the Kingdom is celebrating an occasion that we all, leadership, government, and peoples, treasure and dignify; it is the anniversary of the National Day, which is an unforgettable day in the history of this nation. On this day, the founding leader, King Abdulaziz bin Abdurrahman, May Allah have mercy upon him, has laid down the unshakable pillars of peace and security throughout our beloved Kingdom.
So, we would like to congratulate ourselves as well as our wise leadership and the whole Saudi people on the blessings of safety, security, growth and stability achieved under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, as well as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Second Deputy Prime Minister, May Allah protect and support them.
Early, King Abdulaziz, may Allah rest his soul in peace, had established the basis for a comprehensive and sustainable development, making use of his wisdom, experience, determination, and effort as well as the help of his loyal men; that is to be added to the epic struggle that enabled our late leader to unite the country after being scattered and lacks security and stability.
After the demise of King Abdulaziz, his sons insisted on completing such remarkable achievements. The era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, may Allah protect him, has witnessed prosperous developments and prosperity as well as tremendous achievements all over the regions of the Saudi Arabia, covering all the health, economical, constructional, scientific, educational, industrial, agricultural, and technical fields, along with others.
As for the health situation in the Kingdom, the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has given the health sector a top priority as it worked on providing comprehensive health care for the people of this generous country. Such steps helped the Ministry of Health (MOH) to compete its plans and programs which aim at improving the performance and services provided for the patient, and gaining his satisfaction.
It is worth mentioning that the total number of hospitals in the Kingdom reached 257 hospitals; not to mention other 5 medical cities in the Central Region, Western Region, Southern Region, Northern Region, and Eastern Region. Within the same vein, the total number of primary health care centers increased to 2109 health centers.
Along with such expansion and development, the Ministry has developed a number of developmental programs under the slogan “Patient First” in order to provide services and safety for all patients. Such programs include the Home Medicine Program whose services benefited 28000 patients till the end of the second quarter of this year, as well as the Visiting Physician Program which ensures availability of all medical and rare specialties in all regions; given that the Ministry has attracted 2823 consultant physicians under this program.
Finally, I pray for our Almighty Allah to sustain the blessings of Islam, safety, security, and welfare for our country and to protect the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, as well as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Second Deputy Prime Minister, May Allah support them.