ALKHOBAR, 10 March 2004 — An open invitation has been sent out across the Kingdom to all medical professionals in the hope that they will join the newly created Saudi Society for Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

The society has been formed with the approval of the minister of higher education. The foundation board of the society is chaired by Dr. Abdulrahman M. Al-Qurashi, consultant in clinical microbiology and chairman of the Microbiology Department, College of Medicine, King Faisal University.

According to Al-Qurashi, the new society will be a medical and scientific society with several goals. The society will engage in research and education in the fields of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. The society will provide scientific consultation in both areas. Not only will the society work to enhance the knowledge level of its members, but it will also educate the public on issues in the areas of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. The society will also provide the Kingdom with an interface to similar organizations in other nations.

“We will accomplish our goals in many ways,” said Al-Qurashi.

“We plan to be a very active group holding exhibitions, symposia, seminars, workshops and scientific courses on subjects related to medical microbiology and infectious diseases. We will conduct research and publish studies, brochures and eventually even a periodical related to our fields of interest. We hope to organize scientific trips for our members and also to participate in scientific competitions in medical microbiology and infectious diseases.”

Al-Qurashi explained that there is no similar national organization in the Kingdom and it is a group that is urgently needed.

“Infectious diseases are a big concern globally,” Al-Qurashi commented.

“In recent years we have dealt with Rift Valley Fever and SARS and now Avian viruses are spreading. Other diseases such as hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and meningitis are continuing challenges. We have limited statistics on infectious diseases in the Kingdom and there have been few studies in this area. While the areas of medical microbiology and infectious diseases are the same on a textbook level, in practicality they are very different from country to country. It is essential that we allow our trained medical personnel to share experiences and learn from each other.”

Approximately 400 medical professionals, men and women, attended the first general assembly of the Saudi Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Society. Doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and students came from as far away as Riyadh, Jeddah and Makkah to be a part of the group. All paid the SR100 annual fee and those holding scientific degrees were part of the voting process for the society’s new board.

“We hope this new society will help those of us in the Kingdom’s hospitals and clinics in coping with the numerous infectious diseases we face today,” said Professor Kasim Al-Dawood, consultant in family medicine and epidemiology, King Faisal University. “There are emerging diseases all the time. Unfortunately we are now living in a modern world where infectious diseases have the means to spread and mutate quickly. The annual pilgrimage, while a wonderful blessing for Saudi Arabia, also holds the potential to bring many diseases into the Kingdom. It is essential that we bolster our resources to deal with viral and bacterial threats as we may be on the front line of defense against them.”

Al-Dawood hoped that the new society would advise its members on the latest news in the fields of medical microbiology and infectious diseases and would jump start local research efforts in these areas.

“We need to establish the means for the efficient transfer of knowledge in these areas so that in a crisis we will be able to move swiftly,” Al-Dawood said. “We also need to organize the research being done in the Kingdom so that efforts are not duplicated and findings are quickly transferred to the medical community. I have every expectation that this new scientific society will be able to add considerable value to both Saudi medical professionals and the local community.”