H. E. the Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah has launched 12 health projects in Hafr Al-Batin at a total cost of over SR 44 million. The projects included the Maternity and Pediatric Hospitals, King Khaled Hospital, Central Hospital, Al-Qaisoma Hospital, as well as inaugurating the Regional Laboratory, Central Blood Bank and laying the foundation stone of a cardiac catheterizations unit project.
According to MOH, these projects represent a turning point in the health services in Hafr Al-Batin after operating new quality specialties for the first time in the Al-Batin's hospitals (with a bed capacity of 1000 beds). They will contribute to reducing referral of cases to hospitals outside.
It is noteworthy that Hafr Al-Batin Health Affairs consists of 7 hospitals, including the Specialized Dental Center, the Diabetes and Endocrinology Center, Medical Rehabilitation Center, Kidney Centers, and 40 health centers, 10 of them have obtained accreditation of the Saudi Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI). The new health projects included diabetic kidney unit at the maternity and children hospital, which serves children with chronic kidney diseases, follow them up periodically as well as peritoneal dialysis children. A MRI device was installed to improve radiology services provided in hospitals, and to reduce waiting time.
There is also the project of activating family role in the health care at neonatal ICU (Adaa), where parents can play a bigger role in caring for the newborn; thus, reducing the baby hospitalization period. On the other hand, the intravenous feeding unit, which is one of the developmental work to improve the service by providing integrated intravenous feeding for patients who are unable to feed self and cannot endure feeding tube for a long period of time, as well as the low-weight newborns and cancer patients. In addition to bariatric surgery unit at King Khaled General Hospital which was enhanced with qualified medical and technical staff and cutting-edge medical appliances.
Also, another MRI device was installed at King Khaled Hospital with the aim of improving the service and reducing waiting time and a nuclear medicine unit was opened at Hafr AL-Batin Central Hospital which is one of the most important section for diagnosing delicate cases, detecting and treating cancers such as thyroid cancer, and its serves citizens in the province. An oncology inpatient section and periodic follow-up clinic were opened at AL-Qaisumah Hospital, as well as a kidney center with a capacity of 11 beds, which is enhanced with required medical equipment and qualified staff and state-of-the–art dialysis devices at the expense of Meznah Suleiman Al-Rajhi, May Allah rest her soul in peace.
The Affairs also completed expansion of outpatient clinic with a special entrance, a reception office and 3 rest room for patients, and development of the emergency section at Al-Qaisoma Hospital, with the provision of car park (for person with special needs), 6 rest rooms for emergency patients and a reception area enhanced with the-state-of-the-art devices.
Moreover, the Affairs established the regional laboratory and central blood bank to meet the patients' needs for blood bags, platelets and plasma at the highest international standards. The 2-storey building consists of sections, one for men including a waiting room, donor room (one of the new services in the city). It also includes men donor room (with 5 chairs) post-donation care room, in addition to two clinics for examining donors and ensuring their safety before donation. A female section was also established including waiting room, donor room (with 3 chairs), post-donation care room, a clinic to examine the donors as well as administration offices and a meeting room.
The blood bank's first floor features 7 laboratories equipped with the latest devices to secure blood bags and receive blood samples from blood banks all over the region, and diagnose them, using PCR technique, against all infectious diseases such as AIDS, Hepatitis C, B and syphilis, Lymphocytes, and bacterial screenings in platelets.
It is worth mentioning that the blood bank has a number of branches at King Khaled Hospital, Maternity and Children Hospital, Hafr Al-Batin Central Hospital, in addition to blood transfusion centers at Qaisouma and Al-Saeira general hospitals. Also, the Health Minister has laid the foundation stone of a cardiac surgery and catheterization unit, the first-of-its-kind in the city, with the aim of ending the suffering of patients as a result of being transferred to reference hospitals outside the region to get advanced medical care. A specialized unit has been allocated for serving citizens of the province and nearby villages and areas. All open heart surgeries and catheterization procedure (diagnostic and therapeutic) will be performed.