RIYADH, 14 July 2007 — Over 451 non-Muslims working in local hospitals and medical centers supervised by the Kingdom’s Health Ministry have embraced Islam in the past year due to the efforts of the Islamic Guidance Department, the Health Ministry announced.
Employees working for the Islamic Guidance Department visited 235,000 patients last year and distributed 67,000 gifts to special care patients in various parts of the Kingdom. In addition, the department distributed 1.5 million Arabic booklets for patients and visitors at hospitals and health care centers. Another 48,000 booklets were printed in English for non-Arab readers.
The Islamic Guidance Department was established in 2001. Officials in the department coordinate with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Guidance and Endowment and the Supreme Council of Ulema. Among its several missions is to illustrate to non-Muslims working in the health sector the noble teachings of Islam. It also creates awareness among Muslims about cleanliness and shows disabled and sick people the method of performing prayers. Officials from the department also visit critically ill patients, encouraging them to keep faith and maintain high spirits. The department also arranges symposiums on religious topics for health employees.
In another development, the Ministry of Health said that it has started distributing thousands of booklets on Saudi Arabia’s new primary health care system. The booklet, entitled “Project of Building 2000 Primary Health Care Centers,” gives an overall view of the new plans the ministry aims to establish within the next few years to make family doctors accessible to all Saudi families. Health Minister Hamad Al-Manie announced last month that the Kingdom’s primary health care system would be revamped completely.
