RIYADH, 20 August — Minister of Health Dr. Osama Shobokshi signed here yesterday contracts worth over SR13.91 million with 21 medical companies for the purchase of medical equipment and stationery for the Riyadh Medical Complex.
Senior officials from the ministry and Riyadh Medical Complex, as well as representatives of the medical companies, were present at the signing ceremony.
The medical complex had earlier received a donation of around SR54 million from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd for the development of its services.
This was the second contract of its kind to be signed by Dr. Shobokshi, who had concluded in February last year contracts worth over SR5.22 million with nine medical establishments and companies for importing medical equipment and supplies for the artificial kidney unit at the Riyadh Medical Complex.
Earlier, King Fahd had also donated funds for the development of the kidney washing unit at the medical complex.
When completed, it will be one of the biggest specialized kidney centers in the Mideast.
Equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities, the center will serve up to 700 kidney patients. Currently, about 400 patients benefit from the service at the artificial kidney unit.
The Riyadh Medical Complex, formerly known as the Shumeisy Central Hospital, offered free medical services to Saudis and expatriates until the mid ‘90s. However, after a government regulation that resulted in expatriates having to be treated at private hospitals, the medical complex now caters mainly to Saudis.
Besides handling kidney patients, the complex has made a name for itself in other fields. According to Dr. Abdullah Al-Zabin of King Fahd National Guard Hospital, the complex recently treated a rare case of Dubin-Johnson Syndrome.
