His Excellency the Vice Minister of Health for Planning and Development, Dr. Mohamed Khosheim, has stated that the Ministry of Health (MOH) is currently considering twinning a number of Saudi and Canadian hospitals, and contemplating over whether this is a valid move to take in the future, in addition to satisfying the MOH's needs, studying what could be provided by the Canadian eminent companies and industrial institutions to the Ministry.
Dr. Khoshaim made this statement on Thursday morning, in his meeting with the Canadian Deputy Minister of International Trade, Simon Kennedy, and the delegation accompanying him, in the presence of Canada's Ambassador to the Kingdom. Khoshaim pointed out that, over the six months ahead, cooperation between the two countries will be witnessing a breakthrough. “The Canadian delegation includes representatives of Canadian universities and hospitals, as well as various high-profile institutions willing to further cooperation with the Kingdom; which we very much appreciate,” said Dr. Khoshaim.
“Our relations with Canada are robust,” he added, “and we are looking forward to furthering these relations, especially in the health domain. We already have 4.000 physicians graduated from Canada, in addition to some 17.000 scholarship students in the various medical majors and specialties. It goes without saying that Canada is deemed to be one of the advanced countries, in terms of both medicine and manufacturing, and boasts its giant companies. A testimony to this is that the delegation includes a plethora of the most prominent and renowned physicians in the Canadian hospitals specialized in pediatrics and other medical specialties.”
For his part, the Canadian Deputy Minister of International Trade, Simon Kennedy, lauded the vigorous relations between the two countries in the various fields, especially in the health and education domains. He reiterated that there are some 17.000 Saudi students on scholarships in Canada right now, of whom 4.000 have been graduated from Canadian universities and institutes, and they are currently practicing medicine, and some of them hold senior posts in the Kingdom.
Kennedy went on to say that the joint cooperation between the two countries will effectively contribute to revitalizing the cooperation agreements formerly signed by them; which is one of the most sought-after goals behind including the Health Team Canada in the delegation, as it comprises representatives of a constellation of health organizations. Among these organizations are universities and companies concerned with the establishment of hospitals, and consultative organizations in the health domain. The underlying objective of this visit, according to Kennedy, is to identify the ways to revive the cooperation agreements in all fields. It has been agreed to exchange visits between the two countries, and underscore the Canadian interest in cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the health domain, as well as promoting communication in all other fields.
“Among the objectives set for this visit also,” Kennedy continued, “is to activate the memoranda of understanding signed by the two countries in many fields, especially the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the health domain, signed on 12/10/2010. This memorandum stipulates and identifies the outstanding facades of health cooperation, especially cooperation in the specialized programs between the two ministries of health of both countries. This includes cooperation in offering scholarships for Saudi medical calibers to study at Canadian universities and academic institutions, in addition to medical research, the Visiting Physician Program, and technology transfer.”
It is noteworthy that the meeting was followed by a workshop, in which the Saudi party was presided over by Dr. Khoshaim, whereas the Canadian party was presided over by Kennedy, with the participation of members of the two parties. A presentation, supported by photos, has been given by the Canadian delegation, in which the most outstanding institutions, companies and universities specialized in the health domain have been enumerated, with a view that they could help the Kingdom when it comes to the medical cooperation between the two countries. A similar presentation was given by the Saudi Ministry of Health, illustrating its plan for health development, as represented by its ten-year for integrated and comprehensive health care, shedding light on its major values and principles, as well as touching upon the status quo of the Kingdom's health resources, and what it looks forward to over the upcoming five years.
The presentation included, besides, photos of the MOH's most significant health facilities, in addition to statistics on its achievements and the expected development over the years to come. The number of hospitals in the Kingdom is projected to leap from 266 to 406. Medical cities also will rise from two to five, whereas primary healthcare centers will increase from 2.259 to 2.750.
The head and members of the delegation expressed their pleasure to visit the Kingdom, and admiration for what they have seen. “We look forward to taking part in this momentous health development underway in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” they said.