The Saudi capital city, Riyadh, will host the 78th conference of GCC Health Ministers Council on 15th - 16th Rabei II 1436 H, corresponding to 4th - 5th February 2015. It will be held under the theme: “Measuring Health Systems’ Performance: the Way to Excellence”.
Minister of Health's advisor, Dr. Khaled bin Mohamed Marghalani, who also serves as the Supervisor-General of the MOH Media, Health Awareness, and Relations Center, explained that the conference will address many scientific topics related to developing health work systems, promoting their mechanisms and searching for the best practices and ways of excellence, as well as reviewing international developments and making use of them in such a manner which serves people of the region. He reiterated the importance of the conference and its keeping abreast of the boom witnessed in the GCC health sectors.
Meanwhile, he revealed that “the Ministry has completed its preparedness to host the meeting and receive our brothers their Excellency the Ministers of Health and all the participants from the regional and international health affairs concerned bodies.” He expressed his hope that the proceedings and discussions will come up with a package of important recommendations and decisions which aim at promoting work systems in the different health sectors and stimulating performance in the health field in a manner which serves people of the region.
He noted, within the same vein, that GCC Health Ministers Council plays an ideal role in promoting coherence and cohesion, as well as motivating citizens of the member states to keep up with the keen interest shown by the rulers, May Allah protect them, in the health of the people in the region. He underlined the importance of the discussions and proceedings taking place regularly by their excellency the ministers on health-associated concerns through the annual conferences and meetings. "Such meetings between the brothers are very important to review plans and support march of health work in order to promote building strategies and keep pace with health developments for the benefits of the GCC citizens," he said.
Furthermore, he said that the achievements made through the joint health work within the framework of GCC Health Ministers Council during the last years included many aspects notably dealing with the GCC Nationals in the provision of health services as citizens, in all the member states at all public hospitals, clinics and health centers, facilitating the movement of the the organ transplantation's medical teams between the member states, raising custom tariffs on tobacco and its products, disposing of the hazardous medical waste properly in the hospitals and health centers in accordance with the unified law for managing the healthcare waste in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, launching associations of GCC physicians and registering them, establishing drugs control committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), unifying dugs import currency, as well as adopting GCC plan for combating non-communicable diseases and adopting Saudi standards for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (SCAHI) as GCC reference standards.
Concluding his statement, the MOH's official spokesperson said that “the continuing efforts of the council have contributed to unifying the health policies and programs of common trends and providing successful scientific outcomes which support aspirations of the rulers in achieving a comprehensive renaissance in the health services, in line with the rapid developments in the world, as well as making use of the distinguished experiences in each country and exchanging medical competencies between GCC countries.” Lastly, he prayed for Allah, the Almighty, to crown council's efforts with success, for the conference to come up with comprehensive recommendations which serve the health sectors in the member states and the people of the region.