Saudi- SR3 billion worth health projects to be signed

(MENAFN- Arab News) Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah will sign on Sunday SR3 billion worth of contracts with Saudi establishments for various health projects in the Kingdom, a senior official from the Ministry of Health said. Khalid Al-Mirghalani pointed out that these contracts involve the building of new hospitals and information technology facilities, as well as for services such as maintenance and cleaning. Al-Mirghalani added that these projects are being carried out within the framework of the vision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who is keen on providing the best health care services to his people. He said the health minister, who introduced the "Patients First" program, has embarked on a national health care program of which the strategy is to cover people in every part of the Kingdom. In October last year, King Abdullah inaugurated 420 health projects and laid foundation stones for 127 other health facilities worth SR12 billion. The newly opened projects comprise 29 hospitals and health facilities and 391 primary health care centers, the minister said. The king also laid the foundation stones for two medical cities in the northern and southern regions, projects in three medical cities, a specialist hospital, seven public hospitals, two medical towers, 73 digitized operation theaters and 111 primary health care centers, the minister said. With these new additions, there have been 54 hospitals commissioned by the ministry and 645 primary health care units over the last three years. The ministry is currently constructing 122 hospitals and medical towers and 305 primary health care units.