As part of its efforts to improve health services the Northern Borders Health Affairs has introduced epidural at Rafhaa Central Hospital. This involves several IV doses to maintain regional anesthesia. After surgery, it helps administer analgesics; thus, effectively reducing the complications incurred by general anesthesia. Epidural features a qualitative shift in the hospital's health services. It is noted that Northern Borders Health Affairs offers its health services to citizens through 11 hospitals with almost 1,410-bed capacity. Also, the Affairs features 48 health centers.
It is also worth mentioning that last week several health projects were launched in Taif, which are valued at over half a billion SR, which will help - by Allah's Leave - increase capacity by 20%. These projects feature a maternity and children tower (280m SR) with 300-bed capacity, where 120 beds are allocated for incubators and ICU, cutting-edge medical appliance, an 8-beds integrated emergency department, 8 operating rooms and 19 specialized clinics. The hospital also includes a residential building for nurses to accommodate 1,300 nurses, in addition to an integrated entertainment club enhanced with needed services (valued at 71m SR).
Furthermore, the projects include a Nuclear Medicine Unit at King Faisal Medical Complex (13m SR). Umm Al-Dawam General Hospital will be launched with 50-bed capacity (52m SR), in several specialties, including internal medicine, dermatology, urology, ophthalmology, ENT, surgery, pediatrics, and mental health. Also, the hospital features cutting-edge emergency department, operating rooms, radiology and labs. In the same vein, the first stage of Al-Mahani Hospital is inaugurated with 50-bed capacity. Full operation will be stage-wise by Allah's Leave, where the first stage covers outpatient clinics (surgery, pediatrics, orthopedics, ophthalmology, internal medicine, dermatology, urology, ENT and mental health. Other stages will follow suit.
These projects also include 3 specialized units at King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital (18m SR), due to the key role of certain medical specialties, and their contribution to integrated health services in Taif, to reduce referring medical cases to hospitals outside. Atop of these units comes the oncology unit, which helps diagnose and treat over 85% of various tumor cases. Its also helps administer chemotherapy. The division features the state-of-the-art medical standards, appliances and professionals. It also features a cardiac cath unit with three different subdivisions, namely: cath, diagnosis and thoracic pains treatment. It will help speed up diagnosis, early detection of clots and catheterization.