“At present the Health Ministry is implementing 195 projects such as health towers, specialized hospitals and health centers,” he added.

Al-Rabeeah also announced that his ministry has started operations of about 800 of newly planned 1,414 primary health care centers in different parts of the country.

The new 500-bed hospitals are located in East Riyadh, North Jeddah, Makkah, Baljurashi and Tabuk. Other major hospitals with 200 to 300 beds are being established in South Riyadh, Jazan, Hafr Al-Baten and Abha.

“The new hospitals are constructed conforming to American code and specific safety standards,” the minister said. The ministry’s central laboratory in Riyadh will be ready within a year, he added.

Al-Rabeeah also disclosed plans to set up advanced intensive care units in different regions, adding that SR500 million has been allocated for the purpose.

The minister said this year’s Haj was free from contagious diseases. He highlighted the ministry’s services to the guests of God, saying it carried out 538 heart operations, 25 open heart surgeries, and 1,130 dialysis procedures for pilgrims this year.

“We also transported 415 patients in special vehicles from hospitals in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah to Arafat to help them complete their pilgrimage,” he added.

The ministry had readied 24 hospitals and 141 health centers with 4,000 beds, intensive care units with 450 beds and emergency health facilities with 500 beds to serve pilgrims. “Vaccinations have been given to 365,777 foreign pilgrims against meningitis, 532,400 children against polio and 200,000 pilgrims against yellow fever,” the ministry said.

Speaking about new health services, Al-Rabeeah said the ministry had appointed 1,200 visiting doctors and 1,000 employees for patient relations. “The home medicine program introduced by 115 hospitals benefited more than 10,000 people,” he said.

He disclosed plans to review and update the files of all ministry employees by next year. “We have prepared a medical staff bylaw,” the minister said, adding that it would be circulated within three months.

He said the ministry would soon start an outreach program by dispatching health consultants to remote areas. Many government hospitals provide early diagnosis services for potential cancer patients.