RIYADH, 21 February 2004 — The Ministry of Health will set up 19 Diabetic Centers in the Kingdom, Dr. Mansour Al-Howasi, deputy minister of health for executive affairs, announced yesterday while inaugurating the Eighth Scientific Symposium of the Bangladesh Doctors Group.
The minister said the government initiated a program to prevent, treat and manage diabetes, which affects 20 percent of the population and is spreading fast. “Initially, the centers will be established in 13 principal provinces in the Kingdom to provide medication, health education and regular follow-up,” Howasi said.
The minister also said there are 80 hospitals under construction. He highlighted the contribution made by Bangladeshi doctors to the health care in the Kingdom and said negotiations are in progress to revise their salary structure. The ministry has recently recruited 400 doctors from Bangladesh.
