The center’s director, Dr. Iehab Al-Samnoudi, told Arab News that the International Medical Center for Extended Health Care has been constructed on an area of 37,000 square meters in the city’s Al-Ruwais district.

He added that the center will commence activities as soon as some administrative matters are cleared.

Al-Samnoudi said the 270-bed complex comprises seven adjacent buildings, each four stories high, and that it will be staffed by a team of 400 people, including over 100 nurses.

“The center will have 50 beds initially but we will work full force after that to increase this to 270 beds,” he said.

“Rooms at the center have their own kitchens, bathrooms and chairs that can turn into beds for patients' relatives staying overnight,” he added.

“We will have an intensive care unit of 25 to 30 beds according to the need. We are also considering increasing the number of beds in the ICU,” he said.

Al-Samnoudi said Jeddah has been chosen for the center as the city has the largest number of road accidents in the Kingdom, resulting in debilitating injuries.

He said the center works in complete coordination with the Ministry of Health and will have qualified and well-trained personnel.

“We will rehabilitate patients physically, spiritually and psychologically, and put them on a special nutrition program to help them recover fast,” he added.

Dr. Al-Samnoudi was lauded for helping people injured in road accidents at a special festival held recently in Tunisia by the Arab Organization for Traffic Safety and the International Organization for Protection Against Road Accidents.

More than 400 Arab and international experts from 50 countries attended the festival.

According to official statistics, 485,000 road accidents were registered in Saudi Arabia last year alone in which 6,500 people died and over 36,000 people were left seriously injured.