A team of ENT specialists and neurosurgeons at Asir Central Hospital has successfully performed an endoscopy to excise a pituitary gland tumor affecting the ocular nerve and skull base for a patient in his 60s. He was suffering from a chronic headache which aggravated in the past six months. His health condition deteriorated badly a few days before visiting the hospital as he felt weak, blurred vision in his right eye and left seventh-nerve palsy. After due clinical and MRI tests, he was diagnosed with pituitary gland tumor which was excised using the endoscopy through his sphenoidal sinus. Hence, the patient is fully recovered from his headache. His ocular facial nerves gradually improved. Over the past few days, he was under observation. Now he is in normal condition, has restored his eyesight. His facial nerves are also normal, with no headache any more. He also had an MRI again which ensured full clearance from the tumor.
It is also noted that MoH has increased the bed capacity of its hospitals in 2017 by 1822 beds, thus, making 43,675 beds in total instead of 41,835 beds. This is part of MoH’s endeavors to enhance hospital’s bed capacity for hospitalization and to reduce hospitalization waiting lists. By Allah’s Grace, this has positively improved MoH’s medical services and boosted patient satisfaction. To that end, MoH has inaugurated new hospitals, and geared up the present capacity of hospitals by recruiting more doctors and adding more beds.
In its report of achievements in 2017, MoH stated that one-day surgeries increased from 44% to 55% (with 112,095 one-day surgeries). Also, waiting lists were reduced through suppling health facilities with needed appliances for one-day surgeries, in addition to key indicators to increase the number of this type of surgeries.