Health Minister delivers statement

Riyadh, July 07, SPA -- Minister of Health Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah
Al-Manie has extended thanks to and appreciation of the Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown
Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for their continued support for
and generous sponsorship of health services.

In a press statement, he emphasized the ministry's keenness to
develop health services and upgrade the performance of health
facilities, pointing out that health services witnessed a great leap
both in the quantity and quality of all preventive, therapeutic,
diagnostic and rehabilitative levels where the number of patients who
came to the facilities of the Ministry of Health were more than 55
million annually and it is expected to rise to 75 million in the
coming period.

During the past five years the clinical capacity of the affiliate
hospitals of the Ministry of Health has been on the increase. In 1426
H. 26 new hospitals were operating, bringing to 213 the number of
hospitals and to 30317 the clinical capacity. In 1427 H. four new
hospitals were opened at a capacity of 50-bed each in several cities
and towns in addition to a 100-bed eye hospital in Dhahran, bringing
to 218 the number of hospitals and to 30617 the number of beds. In
1428 H. the number reached 225 hospitals with 31420 beds, the
Minister said.

This year, work on 29 new hospitals have been completed to bring to
32420 the number of beds which will be opened by the end of the year,
he added.
As for next year, considerable progress has been made on work to
implement 19 new hospitals with a total 2550-bed capacity, bringing
to 33920 the clinical capacity in the Kingdom, the statement said.

The number of health centers increased from 1824 in 1424 to 1925 in
1428 H. and 150 new health centers to be opened this year, the
Minister said, adding that at the same time the Ministry was embarked
on a 4-phase giant project to replace the current health centers by
an advanced system.

Regarding the development of manpower and Saudization, he said that
the total number of employees rose from 134,000 workers in 1424 H.,
to 152,000 in 1428 H., a rise of around 12% while the percentage of
Saudization to the total workforce reached in 1428 H. 52%, an
increase of about 5.2% compared to 1424 H. In the field of nursing,
the percentage of Saudis increased from 32% in 1424 H. to 42% in 1428
H.

The Minister disclosed that a study on a new comprehensive health
system called Balsam was forwarded to the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques for approval. He revealed that the six-month study was the
combination of experiences of 12 medically-advanced countries.
The Minister noted that the new health system (Balsam) suggests the
establishment of an independent national commission to safeguard the
separation of service financier, its operator, provider and
supervisor and controller to guarantee the achievement of the highest
level of performance and quality.

The Minister of Health said that this system is based on six
components: the first is the unification of the medical file of the
citizen, the second is the development of primary health care
services, both preventive and therapeutical, third is the
decentralization of administration of hospitals, fourth is the
creation of a national fund for health services aiming at purchasing
health services for citizens (so that the state shoulders the cost of
the insurance policy and not the contrary), fifth is the allocation
of separate budgets for the directorates of health.

More than SR95 million have been allocated to complete the project of
regional laboratories, SR230 million allocated to provide reagents
and solvents, SR70 million to modernize medical devices and
laboratories, he added. There are nine poison treatment centers in
different parts of the country in cooperation with the Ministry of
Interior.

The Minister disclosed that laboratories recorded 264,000 blood
donors last year. As many as 26,000 were honored for having donated
their blood more than ten times, led by the Governor of Riyadh Region
who donated 13 times. Five hundred female and male citizens were
awarded medal of merit II degree for each having donated more than 50
times, the report said.

The Minister reported that the Kingdom won a number of certificates
of commendation and appreciation from the World Health Organization
in the field of laboratories and blood banks.

In the area of preventive medicine, he revealed plans to announce the
country free of measles virus by the end of this year and beginning
of 2009 after having recently been declared as free of polio, the
statement said, adding that the ministry had allotted SR320 million
for basic immunization programme.

Dr. Al-Manie said the ministry targets 41 contagious and
non-contagious in all regions of the Kingdom. Currently it has
introduced 12 vaccines, topping even the advanced countries who have
only eleven vaccines.

He said that the ministry introduced four specialist centers to
diagnose AIDS contractors, to bring to eight the number of AIDS
combating centers in the Kingdom. Also it has established 20 clinics
for optional advice for those wishing to check AIDS secretly. On the
other hand, 36 centers were established for examination of
tuberculosis, bringing down the rate of disease contraction to 85%
and up the rate of disease discovery throughout the Kingdom.

Health Minister delivers statement 5 Riyadh

The Minister of Health announced plans to combat or wipe out
hepatitis virus (c), Malaria, sugar disease,bilharzia and
leishmaniasis.

Also, he highlighted the effort exerted by the Ministry to reduce
prices of imported and home-made medical drugs.

He explained that the Ministry is currently implementing a project to
develop primary health care into family medicine and community,
universally known as family doctor instead of Primary health care
under the slogan (Family doctor per family).
--SPA