The Ministry of Health (MOH) issued a special issue of the Saudi Medical Journal on the sidelines of the 78th Conference of the GCC Health Ministers Council, which was held in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and Thursday 15th - 16th Rabei II 1436 H, corresponding to 4th - 5th February, 2015, under the theme: “Measuring Health Systems’ Performance: the Way to Excellence”.
His Excellency the Saudi Minister of Health, Mr. Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, inaugurated the ceremony, which was attended by His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, their Excellency the GCC Health Ministers, the Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr. Alaa Elwan, and a large number of health officials in the Gulf region.
The new issue includes a comprehensive report on generous support and care paid by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, May Allah protect him, to serve the health sector since his holding of leading positions in the state and till his ascension to power as a king for Saudi Arabia.
The report highlighted that the newly-crowned King has paid close attention to the health sector, pointing out that this came as part of King Salman's confidence that the Saudi people are sharing the responsibilities of citizenship, belonging and loyalty and enjoying all duties and rights.
"Since the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques started occupying leading positions in Saudi Arabia, he has been placing particular emphasis on health services," said the report, adding that this came within the framework of King Salman's acknowledgement of the active role played by the health services in shaping the future of Saudi Arabia.
The report tackled also King Salman's endeavors to promote the health sector in the Kingdom, highlighting that when the new king assumed office as the governor of the Riyadh province, he was keen to achieve a qualitative leap in the health sector there, as he established many specialized and referential medical edifices, such as the King Fahad Medical City, which is reckoned as one of the best health facilities at the domestic, regional and international levels.
In the same vein, the new issue shed light on the renaissance witnessed by the health sector in the Kingdom during the reign of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, May Allah forgive him, saying that the demised Saudi monarch was eager to pay close attention to the health sector due to its effective role in maintaining the lives of the people of this generous country.
"To that end, King Abdullah opened many medical cities, towers and specialized centers and exerted strenuous efforts to improve and develop the existing health facilities," said the issue, noting that the MOH inaugurated and operated 848 primary healthcare centers during King Abdullah's reign, bringing the total number of centers to 2,259.
"During the past five years, the ministry opened and operated 77 hospitals and medical towers with a capacity of 11,161 beds, bringing the total number of hospitals in Saudi Arabia to 295," said the issue, highlighting that more 34 specialized medical centers specialized in the treatment of cardiac, kidney and tumor diseases were opened and operated during the same period.
The new issue underlined that work is underway to complete establishment of 88 specialized centers with a capacity of 700 beds, casting light on the MOH's endeavors to introduce and develop programs to improve health and administrative performance and quality assurance, such as the Home Medicine Program, Visiting Physician Program, Medical Institutions Accreditation Program, Referral Program, Health Services Purchasing Program and Dialysis Services Purchasing from the Private Sector Program.
Furthermore, the special issue shed light on the 78th Conference of the GCC Health Ministers Council as it comprised a special file on obesity, an urgent topic on the agenda of the 2015's Gulf Excellence Award in Health Media, which was celebrated on the sidelines of the conference and held under the auspices of His Excellency the Minister of Health, Mr. Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb.
A large number of GCC health officials and media men attended the ceremony, which highlighted the magnitude of the obesity problem, as well as its health, economic and social impacts on individuals, societies and states, in addition to ways of preventing and facing it.