RIYADH, 23 November 2006 — Saudi Arabia and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in New Delhi to increase cooperation in health sector, the Saudi Health Ministry announced yesterday.
During his visit to New Delhi, Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie and Indian Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss signed the agreement envisaging a wide range of cooperation in the health sector. Saudi Ambassador to India Saleh Al-Ghamdi and Dr. Khalid Al-Mirghlani, general supervisor for the Communications and Health Awareness Campaign, were also present at the signing ceremony.
The MOU covers areas such as hospital consultancy and management of hospitals; recruitment of Indian doctors and paramedical staff for Saudi hospitals; import of Indian pharmaceuticals into Saudi Arabia; treatment of Saudi nationals in specialized hospitals in India and training of Saudi Arabian nurses in India.
“This MOU is the first of its kind to be signed in the subcontinent,” Dr. Mirghlani said, pointing out that the minister’s visit is a follow-up to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s visit to India in January this year.
“We also hope to extend our cooperation in areas such as tele-medicine, e-health, medical training and doctors’ exchange programs,” Dr. Mirghlani noted.
“Around 80 Indian companies are operating in the Kingdom and we want many more to come to Saudi Arabia for business purposes,” he added. Besides these areas, Dr. Mirghlani said that the two countries hope to carry out research on diseases that are brought into the Kingdom by visitors. Currently the Kingdom imports medicines worth $12 million from India.
Following the signing ceremony, Dr. Ramadoss said that 90 percent of equipment used in Indian hospitals is indigenous.
Although India is short of specialists, Dr. Ramadoss said India will send some of them to the Kingdom. He pointed out that Indian pharmaceuticals are of world class and it would benefit both countries if exports could be made directly to Saudi Arabia.
The cost of major surgical procedures are extremely cheap in India compared to international rates, he added.
