Saudi- Four new hospitals to improve eye care

(MENAFN- Arab News) Four ophthalmology facilities have been opened to comply with the citizens' needs.Abdulilah bin Abbad Al-Tuwariqi director general of King Khaled Eye Specialty Hospital pointed out that the hospital has devised strategic plans to develop and modernize its facilities in order to deal with future challenges. Its staff is also receiving continuous training to develop its skills to serve the patients better Al-Tuwariqi added.'The training and scholarship directorate in the hospital offers opportunities to all workers to attend external training sessions and participate in international conferences by presenting research papers or by attending accompanying workshops' the ophthalmologist commented.Currently there are a number of projects under way like the Al-Rajihi center which will specialize in eye complications due to diabetes.According to Al-Tuwariqi emergency cases are dealt by doctors on call in all the branch specialties. There are two full-time consultants for retina cases one for surgical intervention and the other for nonsurgical cases.He confirmed that patients' waiting lists have been cut down drastically after the opening of a number of clinics and supporting services designed to deal with over 1000 patients on a daily basis.'The waiting lists had been expanding for more than 20 years since many doctors left the hospital during the Gulf War in 1990' he explained adding that a specialized team reviews all the patients on waiting lists.As part of these new improvements contract has been signed with the John Hopkins University to employ seven doctors in various branches of ophthalmology while more Saudi and non-Saudi eye doctors have been hired and evening clinics opened to check on patients.Thanks to an innovative idea a mobile eye clinic ophthalmologists can now reach patients and conduct examinations in areas that are difficult to access or have no clinics greatly improving eye care among the country's population.