RIYADH, 23 January 2003 — Minister of Health Dr. Osama Al-Shubokshi has announced that 85 nurses from Malaysia and 40 doctors from the US, Canada and some European countries are being hired as part of the government’s plan for extending medical facilities to pilgrims this year.
He said medical personnel, including specialists from the Gulf states, would also be brought in to strengthen the medical force catering to the pilgrims’ needs.
This was disclosed by Dr. Shubokshi in a chat with newsmen while inaugurating the website of the Saudi Advisory Group Against Stroke (SAGAS) here on Tuesday night. The website, www.sagas.org.sa, provides complete information on stroke, including the cause and management of the disease.
Dr. Waleed Khoja, chairman of the Group, was also present.
SAGAS, which is affiliated to the Saudi Heart Association, was set up in 2001 as part of a voluntary effort to raise public awareness of stroke, particularly in recognizing the risk factors like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiac diseases, etc. SAGAS has adopted the slogan “Don’t let the stroke strike” to drive home its cautionary message.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shubokshi stressed the importance of creating awareness about stroke. He said stroke remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality, as it is the most common cause of disability and the second most common cause of death. A rough estimate puts the number of stroke victims in the Kingdom at 29.8 per 100,000 of the population annually. “This reflects on the well-known fact that a large sector of the Saudi population is younger than 30 years.”
In reply to a question on medical arrangements for this year’s Haj, the minister said temporary doctors and paramedical staff have been deployed at all entry points for pilgrims. Besides, a number of state-of-the-art hospitals are being set up in the border areas like Kharkhir and Turaif.
Dr. Shubokshi said the total bed strength of hospitals in the ritual sites exceeds 14,000. King Abdul Aziz Hospital at Taif will serve as the hub for medical facilities to be provided by the hospitals. The inpatients in Makkah hospitals would be shifted to other facilities in Jeddah and Taif as part of the ministry’s effort to boost health care facilities for the pilgrims, he added.
