JEDDAH/RIYADH: Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who was the first among the newly appointed ministers to assume office, urged top officials at his ministry to work as one team to provide the best possible health services and win the satisfaction of patients.

“This is a great responsibility,” Al-Rabeeah told undersecretaries, regional health directors and hospital managers during a meeting at the ministry in Riyadh, in the presence of former Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie.

“There are nearly 150,000 employees at the ministry whose dedicated services are required to win the satisfaction of patients. If they are dissatisfied, all of us should take the blame for it,” he told the officials.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah reshuffled his Cabinet on Saturday, changing the ministers of health, education, justice and culture and information, and appointing a woman — for the first time — as deputy minister.

Al-Rabeeah said he had received the news of the new appointment from King Abdullah himself, adding that the king had instructed him to develop the Kingdom’s health services, matching with its citizens hopes and aspirations.

Al-Rabeeah said he would continue to lead surgical operations for separating conjoined twins. “I will find time to participate in the separation surgery which has benefited people from all parts of the world who sought assistance from Saudi Arabia.”

Al-Rabeeah performed the first conjoined twin separation surgery on Dec. 31, 1990, at Riyadh’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital. The operation, which was successful, was performed on two Saudi girls joined at the stomach. Since then 13 sets of conjoined twins have been successfully separated in the Kingdom under his supervision.

“In accordance with the aspirations of King Abdullah, we are duty bound to provide the best health care facilities to citizens and others who live in the Kingdom,” said Al-Rabeeah, a graduate of Alberta University in Canada who started his career as an assistant lecturer at the King Saud University in Riyadh.

Al-Rabeeah, who has won the King Abdul Aziz Medal of the First Order, said he would give priority to address the problems such as shortage of beds and medical facilities at public hospitals and the growing cases of medical mistakes. He has reportedly instructed citizens intending to buy advertisements congratulating him to give that money to the Friends of Patients Society instead.

The newly appointed Justice Minister Mohammed Al-Eissa said he would give priority to manpower development and training of qualified judicial officials.

“There is a reason for every shortcoming and our mission is to address it. There is no doubt that we are badly in need of training and qualification and learn from the expertise and experiences of others,” he explained.

He said he would try to develop the ministry’s activities by making use of modern management expertise. He disclosed plans to establish a center for studies and training and another for judicial information.

“We implement the new judicial system, realizing the ambitions of the Saudi leadership,” he added.

A new section has been opened at the Justice Ministry to deal with human rights. It will be part of the tasks being carried out by the ministry’s general directorate for advisers.

Abdul Aziz Khoja, who has taken over the portfolio of minister of culture and information from Iyad Madani, said his ministry would work on the basis of the Kingdom’s firm principles. “Achieving reasonable media openness is my priority,” he said in comments published in the press.

Khoja, a seasoned diplomat who served as Saudi ambassador to Turkey, Russia, Morocco and Lebanon, requested senior Saudi media persons to give their opinions on how to develop the Kingdom’s public media including radio and television. He has previously worked at the ministry as undersecretary for media affairs. A chemistry professor from Makkah, he has many plans to strengthen the ministry, in tune with the political, educational and cultural reforms introduced by King Abdullah, and making use of the vast experience he gained from foreign countries as ambassador.

— With input from Mohammed Rasooldeen