Medical city in Jouf will have 1,000 beds

The proposed 1,000-bed Prince Muhammed Bin Abdulaziz Medical City in Al-Jouf will serve the Kingdom's population in the northern region, Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said during his visit to the area yesterday. The minister described to Al-Jouf Gov. Prince Fahd bin Badr the various health projects that have been earmarked for the northern region. The meeting took place at the governor's palace. The minister said the establishment of five medical cities in the Kingdom is based on a directive from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah who was keen on providing equal health opportunities for people living in all parts of the Kingdom. Prince Muhammed Bin Abdulaziz Medical City, which will be located in Sakaka in Al-Jouf, is aimed at serving people in neighboring regions such as Tabuk, Hail and the northern borders. The minister visited the site of the proposed medical city during his visit. Under its budget, the Ministry of Health has allocated SR 2 billion to the Al-Jouf governorate, which serves the northern part of the Kingdom. The minister explained his ministry had chalked out a strategic plan not only to increase the number of beds in the hospitals but also improve health services offered to families and ensure they meet global health standards. He said the ministry intends to accommodate four patients in a room, which would be good enough to ensure the privacy of patients as well as the convenience of medics and paramedics. He said the funds allocated for training and development of human resources have been doubled to ensure quality and speedy health services. “This is being carried out in coordination with the ministries of labor and higher education.” He also said he has plans to replace gradually old medical equipment in government hospitals in phases. Director General of the medical city Dr. Nahr Al-Azmi conducted a presentation of the whole project in the presence of Prince Fahd bin Badr and Al-Rabeeah. Al-Azmi said the project will be built on an area of 2 million sq. meters and is expected to create 6,000 jobs. The city will have a general hospital with all needed facilities, cardiac center, eye hospital, general laboratory, and a rehabilitation center. He added its staff would be provided with the state-of-the art training inside and outside the Kingdom. He said the project would be set up with the cooperation of public and private sectors in the Kingdom. Yesterday, Prince Fahd opened 10 new health projects and laid the foundation stone for the construction of 14 other health facilities costing more than SR2 billion. According to the director of the region's health department Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Moalim, the projects inaugurated included four new hospitals including a psychiatry facility each in Sakaka and Qurayat built at a cost of more than SR286 million. The governor also opened two new general hospitals in the towns of Abu Ajram and Al-Haditha in addition to accommodation facilities for staff at a number of hospitals. He opened a 15-bed kidney dialysis unit at Prince Abdul Rahman Al-Sudairy hospital in Sakaka. The 14 health projects included a maternity and children's hospital, a regional laboratory and a dental center in the city of Al-Jouf in addition to a kidney-dialysis unit at King Abdul Aziz hospital in Sakaka. The governor also laid foundation stones for seven primary health care centers in various cities and towns in the region.