The Ministry of Health (MOH) launches an awareness campaign in parallel with the initiative of the Disabled Children Association aiming to mount a national campaign for safe driving under the theme" May Allah Reward you". It takes aim at limiting increasing the numbers of the daily deaths and injuries resulting from car accidents.
This was voiced by the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah who noted that the MOH is to boost its health facilities by adding more than 600 beds through building specialized centers for emergency and injuries in Riyadh, Jeddah, and the Eastern and Northern Regions, in addition to the centers already located in the MOH's hospitals, and which are meant for the emergency and injuries in the entire Kingdom's regions.
Within the same context, the Director of the MOH Prevention from Injuries and Accidents Program, Dr. Faisal bin Mordi Ala'anzi affirmed that the MOH receives over 180 thousand emergency cases on average resulting from the car and road accidents. They range in terms of their severity between slight and highly serious. He went on to point out that there are over 35 thousand cases coming under the medium and serious cases which require a set of the medical or surgical interventions.
Meanwhile, he remarked that according to the latest MOH's statistics, the number of the organ amputation cases resulting from these injuries amounted to 707 cases yearly whereas the number of death cases reached 17 ones daily. He went on pointing out that this is higher than the world rates in proportion to the number of population, road nature, and available vehicles. He further stressed the fact that the MOH is keen on upgrading its health services with all their preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative levels included. This aims at reducing the burden of injuries, their complications, and the disabilities resulting from them. To that effect, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the MOH recently worked on developing a national system for gathering and detecting the injury cases within the health facilities; in order to create a national map demonstrating the size of the problem and how it is distributed in the Kingdom's regions. This is with the aim of helping decision makers in the different bodies take the necessary decisions, through the numbers and proof-based evidence and away from the inaccurate estimates. He added that this system was awarded the first prize for the best show presented as an e-health system in the fourth regional conference on the e-health in the Middle East, held in Dubai 2012.
Within the same vein, he added that this electronic system, put into effect by the advent of the current year, was built as a prior step with the aim of preparing the necessary information upon which the planning, implementation, and follow-up phases of the parts related to the health sector are to center. This comes as part of the National Strategy for the Traffic Safety which was approved recently by the reverend Premiership.
Moreover, he made clear that the part related to the health sector centers on three principal points. They are developing and establishing a national network for the trauma centers covering the most-needed places; namely, the highways and the far-flung parts of the crowded cities, in order to guarantee the fastest and highest accommodation the traffic accident victims, delivering the best emergency medical services levels for them, as well as developing and establishing rehabilitative centers for the traffic accident victims. In addition to this, it is to focus on raising the efficiency, readiness, and capabilities of the emergency sections in the hospitals as well as boosting the capacities of those working for them through the ongoing training and scholarships. Also, it concentrates on unifying the procedures followed and referral system; in order to go with the work guidelines and the practical national protocols, distinguished with the high quality and standards.
He went on pointing out that the national strategy coincides with the world attitude and commitment approved by the United Nations (UN); to limit the traffic accidents worldwide. To that effect, a world initiative was launched titled " Working for the Safety of Roads 2011-2012". He also highlighted the significance of the National Strategy which will play the main role in changing the image and size of the traffic injury problem; especially, it was developed and implemented by many bodies as one work team. Further, the timetable and performance, production, and quality standards were set. All the more, an appropriate timeline was set for it approximating ten years; in order to give an enough opportunity for the bodies to plan and build in a regular way, and to capitalize on the support provided for this strategy properly.
In conclusion, he extended his thanks and appreciation to the Disabled Children Association and all the staff, spearheaded by the HRH prince Sultan bin Salman, the Chairman of the Board of Directors. He went on lauding cooperation with the concerned bodies in terms of building and putting this strategy into effect. He also commended the developments and improvements the systems and plans related to the traffic safety underwent; especially, embracing the electronic systems and raising the workers' capacities. This in turn facilitates communication among the different bodies. He all the more stressed on the importance of educating and raising the awareness of the driver of the vehicle, adhering to the traffic rules, as well as educating the parents; to instill the concepts of the safe driving in their children.