RIYADH, 13 July 2006 — The Ministry of Health is to build a 500-bed maternity and children’s hospital in Makkah as part of its SR1-billion Makkah Al-Mukarrama Medical City (MAMMC) project.
Health Minister Hamad Al-Manie signed a series of agreements worth SR589 million with private sector companies for the construction of a specialized medical hospital in the holy city and for the operation and maintenance of four major hospitals in Riyadh, Huraiymala, Hawtah Bani Tamim and Buraidah.
“The construction work for the hospital in Makkah will begin next week and is expected to complete within a period of three years,” Al-Manie told reporters after the signing ceremony at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh.
The five-story hospital complex in Makkah will be built on a 550,000-square-meter area at Al-Aziziyah district on the road to Mina.
Al-Manie said the hospital would be open to Saudis and pilgrims alike. A separate floor will be assigned for patients suffering from sunstrokes and burns.
While disclosing the ministry’s intention to have specialized hospitals in all the provinces, the minister said the Kingdom is keen on providing the best of health care services to the people. He recalled that in April this year, the ministry launched a prototype Primary Health Center in Riyadh. It was the first of a planned 2,000 Primary Health Centers (PHCs) to be built across the Kingdom.
“We are in the process of constructing new PHCs in place of the 1,750 existing centers,” he said, pointing out that 150 such new centers will be commissioned before the end of this year.
The agreement for the construction of the hospital in Makkah, which will cost the government SR165 million, was signed with Tarek Al-Fouzan, general manager of Al-Fouzan Trading and General Construction Company. The operation and maintenance contracts were signed with Al-Fouzan Company, Safari Construction Company and Samama Group.
