His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, has given his directions to study the possibility of engaging all medical students of all universities throughout the Kingdom in training during the Hajj season, thus participating with the Ministry of Health in providing healthcare services for the 'guests of Allah' at the seven MOH hospitals spread out in the Holy Places, with a view to giving experience to the trainees in the field of Mass Gathering Medicine.
On receiving a group of 70 trainees coming along from 5 universities to voluntarily take part in serving pilgrims, on Monday night, Dr. Al-Rabeeah advised medical students, of both genders, to best choose the appropriate medical specialty following graduation, in line with the requirements of the labor market. Meanwhile, he affirmed that work opportunities will be available for all students.
A doctor aspiring to success, Dr. Al-Rabeeah continued, has to set his sight on serving patients as if they were his family: father, mother, brother or sister. In this spirit, he has to provide the best and highest healthcare service. He also underscored the importance of making good use of the mass-gathering medicine during the Hajj season, and the assiduousness to learn and acquire experiences, in terms of organization, arrangement and administration.
Meanwhile, His Excellency the Minister of Health has acclaimed his sons and sisters, the future's doctors, for their keen interest in working side by side with their colleague-doctors at the Holy Places' hospitals. He added that doctors, by obtaining BA, will have taken the first step on a lengthy road. They, consequently, have to complete the road by obtaining the Master Degree and the Ph.D. in the proper specialty.
According to Dr. Al-Rabeeah, working as a doctor requires permanent vigilance and continuous reading and development of performance.
Addressing the students, Dr. Al-Rabeeah added, some of your colleagues make good use of the annual and mid-term holidays by working at hospitals with experienced doctors (specialists and consultants), for the purpose of acquiring good experience from proficient doctors.
For her part, Manar al-Khatib, a final year medical student, said, “The greatest motive for medical is Your Excellency's support for doctors of both genders, by advising them, and enabling them to acquire valuable experiences from the Holy Places' hospitals.” She stressed that, through cooperation with doctors, they got to learn a lot about the so-called 'mass-gathering medicine'.
Manar Al-Khatib added, “Medical students of both genders are looking forward to the continuation of this program every Hajj season, by granting the opportunity of participating with the Ministry of Health in serving pilgrims for a number of medical students from all the Kingdom's faculties of medicine.”