DAMMAM, 15 October — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, inaugurated a 200-bed Imam Abdul Rahman Al-Faisal Hospital here yesterday and said the hospital will serve not only National Guard officers and other citizens but also expatriates.
“In the name of God I open this hospital. May God make it a blessing for Muslims, the sons of Saudi Arabia and those who arrived in this country,” the crown prince said while unveiling the plaque to mark the inauguration.
Prince Mashari ibn Saud, head of the National Guard in the Eastern Province, said it was a “long dream” come true for National Guard officers and their families in the region.
Dr. Fahd Al-Abdul Jabbar, executive director of health affairs at the National Guard, said the Dammam hospital was one of the three giant medical centers (in Al-Ahsa, Dammam and Jeddah) ordered by Prince Abdullah to meet the growing healthcare requirements in the three regions.
The Imam Abdul Rahman Al-Faisal Hospital comprises outpatient clinics, naturopathic treatment centers and advanced diagnosis facilities.
At present there are 61 medical centers under the National Guard. The number of beds at these centers has increased from 700 in 1994 to 1,600. National Guard hospitals also participate in higher medical studies programs offered by the Saudi Authority for Health Specializations.
Prince Abdullah toured the hospital and was briefed on its advanced medical facilities. He also visited some of the patients admitted to the hospital. The opening ceremony was attended by a large number of princes and high-ranking officials.
Earlier yesterday, Prince Abdullah attended a reception organized by the people of Qateef. Thousands of people had lined the streets to Qateef to greet the crown prince and his entourage. He also attended a ceremony organized by the Bani Khaled tribe in Anak, south of Qateef.
Prince Abdullah, who arrived in the Eastern Province on Saturday, inaugurated a number of development projects over the past two days including expansion projects of SABIC companies.
Prince Abdullah last night attended the 40th anniversary celebrations of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran.
