MoH races against time to align its efforts with Vision 2030 | Arab News

 JEDDAH: The Health Ministry has forecast revenue of SR4 billion by 2020 because of a major financial overhaul that includes implementation of an insurance system, attracting new investments, and raising funds from conferences and exhibitions, local media reported Friday.

This is according to Aqab Abboud, supervisor of the ministry’s health economics department, who said that revenue was only SR30 million seven years ago. It grew to SR350 million in 2015, and likely to rise to SR500 million at the end of this year, he said.

“We are racing against time across all districts to align our efforts with Vision 2030, especially regarding the application of the Cooperative Health Insurance System at all the ministry’s hospitals, medical cities, clinics, laboratories, heart centers and poison centers,” he said.

“Approval from the Cooperative Health Council, training of employees, development of the electronic financial system, and preparation of sites is all being done in parallel,” he was quoted as saying.....

read more:
MoH races against time to align its efforts with Vision 2030 | Arab News

Rise in C-section births alarming | Arab News

 RIYADH: The rate of babies delivered by Caesarean section in Saudi Arabia is growing alarmingly with the nationwide increase reflecting an upward trend in these cases in recent years.

A cross section of medical experts expressed concerns Saturday over the fact that caesarian delivery cases surged by 67 percent in the country last year.

A similar trend was noticed in the first quarter of 2016 with experts saying that the reasons behind the surge are preventable.


read more:
Rise in C-section births alarming | Arab News

Beat diabetes with proper food, says expert | Arab News

RIYADH: Obesity is increasing in the Kingdom at an alarming rate and it will eventually lead to diabetes causing renal, cardiac, dental and eye diseases, said a senior official at a Riyadh-based company.

Vikrant Shrotriya of Novo Nordisk was speaking to Arab News about this year’s WHO theme, “Beat Diabetes,” to mark the World Health Day on Thursday.

“The theme is a timely choice, since there are 350 million diabetics in the world and this is expected to be doubled by 2040, and the world spends some $673 billion to treat and prevent the disease,” he said, pointing out that the deaths cause by diabetes is much more than any other disease in the world.

 Nearly 1.5 million people die of diabetes every year, according to WHO.
“One in every 11 persons become a victim of the disease,” said Shrotriya. “It is a silent killer if not properly treated.”


read more:

Beat diabetes with proper food, says expert | Arab News

Short film highlights patient rights in Kingdom’s hospitals - Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH – Jeddah’s Culture and Arts Association has screened a short film, “Treat me with Kindness,” aimed at educating the public about their rights in the Kingdom’s hospitals and focusing on the issues patients often face.

Bad customer service from hospital employees, difficulty communicating with nurses and a lack of available hospital appointments are some of the issues highlighted in the movie.
The film, directed by Abdulrahman Mirza, does not blame any single party for the poor customer service in Jeddah’s hospitals, and instead tries to present the reality of healthcare in the city and also educate the public.

 The crew who worked on the film have a medical and health background, and decided to produce the movie after observing hospital conditions and witnessing complaints from patients and their families.

read more:
Short film highlights patient rights in Kingdom ’s hospitals - Saudi Gazette

90% of Saudi children have tooth decay, says expert | Arab News

RIYADH: Some 90 percent of children are suffering from tooth decay in some parts of the Kingdom, with the Eastern Province having the lowest rates of infection, an expert told attendees at an oral hygiene event in Riyadh.

Dr. Salwa Al-Sadhan, head of Community Service at King Saud University’s Faculty of Medicine, said this at the event which focused on the importance of oral health.

 She said that students of the Faculty of Medicine are repeatedly visiting schools to spread awareness of oral health among students and to show them how to properly brush their teeth to prevent decay.

 read more:
90% of Saudi children have tooth decay, says expert | Arab News

Saudi females prove their mettle in operation theaters - Saudi Gazette

THE Ministry of Health’s statistics on the number of doctors showed that there are 71,000 male and female physicians in the Kingdom, of whom 17,000 are Saudis. The number of female Saudi doctors is 5,500, accounting for 32 percent of the total number of Saudi doctors and 7 percent of the number of doctors in the country.

Though the statistics do not say how many of the female doctors are surgeons, there are only a few in this field. But one thing is sure: female surgeons have proven themselves in this difficult field and won the admiration of the general public and the medical field. These women are able to enter the operation theaters, hold knives and scalpels and operate with confidence.

 read more:
Saudi females prove their mettle in operation theaters - Saudi Gazette

Haia is ‘creating problems’ for women in public pharmacies - Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — A member of the pharmacies committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) has alleged that the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) is hindering the employment of women in public pharmacies.

Ibrahim Al-Badawi said the commission is hindering the employment of female pharmacists even though the workplace adheres to all the rules and regulations.

“The commission seems to be targeting public pharmacies and turning its eyes away from private pharmacies inside shopping centers. The public pharmacies will have a partition separating men from women working there,” said Al-Badawi.

He also said the commission is pushing investors into opening pharmacies that are for women only.

 “Investors are not inclined to do so because it limits their customers. The committee is responsible for facilitating the investment process and enabling investors in the industry. With such a push, investors feel they are up to lose more than gaining money if they invested in a women-only pharmacy,” said Al-Badawi.

read more:
Haia is ‘creating problems’ for women in public pharmacies - Saudi Gazette

KSA to set up S. Korean system in govt. hospitals | Arab News

 South Korea will help Saudi Arabia in setting up a “Hospital Information System” (HIS) and and a disease control systemin state-run hospitals, a Korean official Embassy said on Thursday.

“This is included in the framework of cooperation to strengthen the health care partnership
between the two countries, which was signed during the South Korean minister’s recent Riyadh visit,” he said.

Currently, six hospitals here are working with a consortium of South Korean hospitals and
companies to establish the HIS, an automated system that controls the overall management of hospital........

 read more:

KSA to set up S. Korean system in govt. hospitals | Arab News

Al-Falih to open conference focusing on patients’ rights | Arab News

 Health Minister Khalid Al-Falih will inaugurate the 1st Gulf Patient Rights Conference on Feb. 28 at King Faisal Conference Hall at the Riyadh InterContinental Hotel. The three-day conference will tackle a host of issues related to patient rights either from the theoretical or applied perspectives.

The issues include the current state of patient rights practices, role of health facilities and health team members, and regulatory authorities and educational, professional and
legal institutions in promoting patient rights....

 read more:

Al-Falih to open conference focusing on patients’ rights | Arab News

2,000 medical students to visit schools - Saudi Gazette

  A total of 2,000 medical students specializing in pediatrics will visit schools to offer free checkups and diagnoses to pupils of all ages. King Abdulaziz University Children’s Health Campaign Supervisor Dr. Abdulmueen Al-Agha said the campaign addresses children’s health and well being.
“A team of 2,000 medical students will be visiting several schools across 25 cities and governorates. The campaign started on Sunday and will continue until the end of the semester. This campaign is the biggest volunteering health campaign organized by medical students,” said Al-Agha. He said the campaign will be visiting primary and middle schools for both girls and boys......

read more: 
2,000 medical students to visit schools - Saudi Gazette

Ministry of Health sets austerity plan - Saudi Gazette

  The Ministry of Health (MOH) will reduce the payment of bonuses and overtime, cut travel expenses and pharmaceutical purchases and bids for projects should not exceed the budget as part of its austerity measures.

 The ministry announced that all establishments working under it are to only employ doctors with expertise in rare fields. The ministry also announced that contracts must only require doctors to work for 90 days a year, said a source.....

 read more:

Ministry of Health sets austerity plan - Saudi Gazette

Ministry of Health to require employees to declare assets | Arab News

 The Ministry of Health is considering imposing an asset declaration as well as an absence of interest conflict testimony on its employees as a measure in fighting corruption. Health Minister Khalid Al-Falih made the announcement at a one-day forum on promoting integrity and combating corruption in the health care sector.

The forum was organized by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha) in collaboration with the Council of Health Service which is chaired by the minister. “Integrity should be the foundation of the health sector; otherwise people’s health and lives will be jeopardized in the very place entrusted with protecting them,” he said, stressing his ministry’s determination to eliminate corruption and misbehavior.


 read more:

Ministry of Health to require employees to declare assets | Arab News

Ghada Al-Mutairi — Saudi scientist who changed the concept of surgery - Saudi Gazette

 An ambitious Saudi woman has yet again proved sky is the limit for excellence. Ghada Mutlaq Al-Mutairi, 39, received a $3 million global innovation award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest organization supporting medical research in the United States, for her invention that changed the way surgical procedures are carried out in the country.

Al-Mutairi, who holds a doctorate in materials chemistry, currently lives in the US. She is a faculty member at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and director of the Center of Excellence in Nanomedicine.

 read more:

Ghada Al-Mutairi — Saudi scientist who changed the concept of surgery - Saudi Gazette

Sakaka hospital scores a first | Arab News

 A medical team at a hospital in Sakaka successfully conducted the first laparoscopic procedure of its kind in the region by using this modern technique.
The medical team, headed by Dr. Sami Al-Asari at the King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital, operated on a 60-year-old Saudi woman to remove a 40cm long stone in her small intestine through laparoscopic surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery is a procedure that uses a thin, lighted tube put through a cut or incision in the abdomen.  Director General of Health Affairs in Al-Jouf Hussein Al-Ruwaidi thanked Al-Asari and his team for their medical achievement.

Talking about the procedure, Al-Asari said that when the patient was brought to the hospital’s emergency department, she was suffering from extreme pain. “The patient also complained of frequent vomiting,” said Al-Asari, also the hospital’s department of surgery head and general and colorectal surgery department consultant.

 read more:

Sakaka hospital scores a first | Arab News

50 AIDS counseling clinics in Riyadh planned | Arab News

Fifty AIDS counseling clinics will be opened in health centers and hospitals in Riyadh soon.
These centers will have separate departments for both men and women, said Mohammad Al-Dhafeeri, director of the AIDS program. The measures will be taken to prevent a rise in AIDS cases.

 read more:

50 AIDS counseling clinics in Riyadh planned | Arab News

2,778 medical error cases in one year - Arab News

JEDDAH: There were 2,778 cases of alleged medical errors referred to legal health committees across the country for consideration over the past year, with the most at 620 recorded in the Eastern Province.
A recent government report stated there were 3,455 judicial proceedings, with Riyadh having the most at 1,094 lawsuits. Najran recorded an average of 9.9 court sessions for each verdict reached. 
The report stated that these committees issued 889 rulings, the majority in Riyadh at 185 verdicts, according to a report in a local newspaper. 

read more:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/854076

90% with genetic disorders marry cousins | Arab News

 JEDDAH: Around 90 percent of men with sickle cell anemia and thalassemia
insist on marrying first cousins even though there is a high risk of
their children having these disorders and birth defects.

This is according to Ali Al-Ghamdi, general supervisor of marriage tests at
Jeddah’s regional laboratory, who said that couples with genetic
disorders often marry because they want to adhere to traditions,
according to a report in a local publication recently.

Al-Ghamdi said that couples are not obliged to take tests. If they do, they are at
least aware of the risks involved if they tie the knot with one of them
having a genetic disorder.

He said clinics test for sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, among other diseases. If couples are negative they are given a certificate to continue their procedures. If one or
both has a genetic disease they are referred to a specialist clinic
where they will get advice on the consequences of getting married.

 read more:

90% with genetic disorders marry cousins | Arab News

KSA registered 21,761 AIDS cases since 1984 | Arab News

 JEDDAH: The Kingdom has recorded 21,761 people with AIDS in the country
since 1984, divided into 6,334 Saudis and 15,427 non-Saudis, a local
publication reported to mark World AIDS Day on Dec. 1.

In 2014, there were 1,222 new cases recorded, with Saudis making up 444 and
foreigners 778, according to Tawfiq bin Ahmad Khoja, director general of
the executive office of the GCC Health Ministers’ Council.

Khoja said that infections among people in the GCC countries is the lowest in
the region, between 0.15 and 1.95 for every 1,000 individuals.

 He said HIV cases are rising because of several factors, including people lacking knowledge, movement of people between large cities, drug addicts sharing needles and the influence of migrants from countries with a high incidence of infections.Khoja said the GCC health ministries have taken several precautions to counter the spread of this virus, including stopping the importation of blood from abroad, and increasing awareness campaigns especially targeting young people.


 read more:
KSA registered 21,761 AIDS cases since 1984 | Arab News

Six Alkhobar students down with swine flu | Arab News

 DAMMAM: Six elementary school students have been isolated on suspicion
of having swine flu, said officials at King Fahd Bridge Elementary School in Alkhobar.
The Department of Health Affairs in the Eastern Province sent a medical team to transfer the students to a local hospital for necessary tests and treatment.

School director Nasser Al-Maymouni refrained from providing any details about the issue, asking the media to contact the public relations wing of the education department. The director of education in the province, Abdulrahman Al-Maderes, has asked medical teams to investigate the condition of the students. “If it is confirmed that the students have swine flu, the department of education will take necessary precautionary measures,”
said Al-Maderes.

read more:

Six Alkhobar students down with swine flu | Arab News

KSA ranks fifth in Gulf for obesity | Arab News

Dr. Hanan Al-Ghamdi, assistant professor of Hepatobiliary and Laparoscopic Surgery at the University of Dammam, has warned that Saudi Arabia is located in the ‘red zone’ in relation to the prevalence of overweight and obese nationals.

“The overall proportion of Saudis who are overweight stands at 70 percent of the total population. The global rate of entry into what is known as the ‘red zone’ of concern is when
60 percent of the population is overweight,” she explained.

The proportion is divided at 72 percent among women, and 68 percent among men, she added.“Thus, the Kingdom ranked fifth among the Middle East countries, after Qatar,
Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain,” she said. 

 read more:

KSA ranks fifth in Gulf for obesity | Arab News