How Saudi hospitals are using tech to improve health care

How Saudi hospitals are using tech to improve health care
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Saudi hospitals using technology to better health care. (Supplied)
How Saudi hospitals are using tech to improve health care
2 / 2
Saudi hospitals using technology to better health care. (Supplied)
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Updated 09 February 2023

How Saudi hospitals are using tech to improve health care

How Saudi hospitals are using tech to improve health care
  • King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center showcases advances at LEAP2023

RIYADH: Technology is becoming a crucial component in health care, as the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center booth highlighted during LEAP2023.
The demonstration showed how trailblazing technologies are improving health care quality and bolstering the health care industry in the Kingdom according to three main pillars: operational quality, experience and care quality.
“Technology has always been an unparalleled force in advancing industries and societies,” Dr. Mohamad Alhamid, director of the Center for Healthcare Intelligence at the KFSH&RC, told Arab News.
“The team at KFSH&RC works to develop state-of-the-art medical tools powered by automation and machine learning, and to expand health care possibilities for all.”
Alhamid said the center is harnessing the power of the metaverse, AI, blockchain and virtual reality to bolster the Kingdom’s health care capabilities, as well as quality of operations and patient care.
“Among the many technology tools presented at our booth is a virtual reality system that enables children with autism to develop essential life skills, such as crossing the road, in a safe yet immersive environment, and a medical 3D printer that can be deployed and utilized for clinical and research purposes,” he said.
Lab manager Hana Alarifi at KFSH&RC Center for Autism Research’s human behavior laboratory is using cutting edge tools, such as AI and virtual reality, as part of her work to help autistic children.


Saudi Health Ministry ready to ensure disease-free Hajj

Saudi Health Ministry ready to ensure disease-free Hajj
Updated 26 min 41 sec ago

Saudi Health Ministry ready to ensure disease-free Hajj

Saudi Health Ministry ready to ensure disease-free Hajj
  • Integrated system of health control centers is being set up at the ports of entry, which will be completed before the beginning of the Hajj season
  • Health ministry will distribute leaflets and broadcast awareness programs on screens in the halls in languages such as Urdu, French and English

JEDDAH: The health of incoming pilgrims will be monitored at 14 ports of entry to the Kingdom via land, sea, and air during this Hajj season.

The Ministry of Health said that it has set a number of health requirements to prevent diseases coming into the country, maintain health security and provide preventive and curative services during the Hajj season.

An integrated system of health control centers is being set up at the ports of entry, which will be completed before the beginning of the Hajj season.

The ministry is keen to raise health awareness for pilgrims and their families upon their arrival in the Kingdom with awareness initiatives. It will distribute leaflets and broadcast awareness programs on screens in the halls in languages such as Urdu, French and English, among others.

Officials said that entry point health services were the first line of defense for Hajj. Health experts will also take precautionary measures in accordance with global developments and international health regulations that apply to those coming to Hajj, their luggage and transport.

Medical services will be provided at Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz Airport in Yanbu, Taif International Airport, Al-Batha Port, Empty Quarter Port, Salwa Port, King Fahd Causeway, Al-Raqa’i Port, Jdeidet Arar Port, Al-Haditha Port, Halat Ammar Port, and Al-Wadiah Port.

The centers will be staffed at all times, stocked with medical supplies such as vaccines and equipped with isolation rooms and ambulances to transport sick cases to hospital.

Food brought in by pilgrims will also be inspected by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and the Customs Authority.

The Health Ministry will record the number of incomers, and report preventive measures applied in their countries of origin and at the ports through the Health Electronic Surveillance Network.

The ministry also provides other preventive services including vaccines for the target countries and preventive treatment for those coming from the African meningitis belt.

Officials at the ministry will coordinate with international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization, and ensure that all pilgrims receive the necessary immunizations before traveling.


Saudi authorities thwart qat-smuggling bids in Jazan

Saudi authorities thwart qat-smuggling bids in Jazan
Updated 31 May 2023

Saudi authorities thwart qat-smuggling bids in Jazan

Saudi authorities thwart qat-smuggling bids in Jazan
  • 100 kilograms of qat were seized drugs and handed over to relevant authorities

RIYADH: Saudi border guards in the Jazan region recently foiled attempts to smuggle 100 kilograms of qat.

The seized drugs have since been handed over to the relevant authorities, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Anyone with information or suspicions about drug-related activities or promotion can call 911 in the Makkah, Riyadh, and Eastern Province regions, and 999 in the rest of the Kingdom.
 


Mawhiba nurtures 606 gifted students in 16 Arab countries

Mawhiba nurtures 606 gifted students in 16 Arab countries
Updated 31 May 2023

Mawhiba nurtures 606 gifted students in 16 Arab countries

Mawhiba nurtures 606 gifted students in 16 Arab countries
  • Mawhiba representatives told the 13th Conference of Arab Ministers of Education in Rabat that its ‘Gifted Arabs’ initiative had identified and was supporting people in 16 Arab countries
  • Secretary-General Dr. Amal bint Abdullah Al-Hazaa said that the program allows Saudi leadership to share their expertise and discover, nurture, and empower talent around the Arab world

RIYADH: More than 600 ‘gifted’ students have been granted support to realize their academic talents under an initiative launched by a Saudi foundation, an education conference has been told.

Leaders from Mawhiba, or the King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, Mawhiba, told the 13th Conference of Arab Ministers of Education in Rabat, Morocco, that its ‘Gifted Arabs’ initiative had identified and was supporting people in 16 Arab countries.

Secretary-General Dr. Amal bint Abdullah Al-Hazaa said that the program allows Saudi leadership to share their expertise and discover, nurture, and empower talent around the Arab world.

Dr. Khaled Al-Sharif, director general of Mawhiba’s Center of Excellence, said that 606 students were identified in the first and second rounds of the ‘Gifted Arabs’ initiative’s recruitment.

The initiative has provided the talented students with qualitative enrichment and academic programs to develop their knowledge and capabilities, he added.

Mawhiba said that its efforts were part of its vision to empower talent and creativity to further prosperity.

The conference, “Future of Education in the Arab World in the Digital Transformation Era,” was held on May 29 and 30.


Social Development Bank’s training program helping SMEs to grow

Social Development Bank’s training program helping SMEs to grow
Updated 31 May 2023

Social Development Bank’s training program helping SMEs to grow

Social Development Bank’s training program helping SMEs to grow
  • Business owners offered courses in marketing, administration, communication skills

RIYADH: The Social Development Bank has introduced a range of training programs to help small businesses across the Kingdom to grow.
The courses cover key issues like marketing and administration and also provide business owners with the chance to meet and discuss their development plans with local and international experts.
One of the companies that has benefited from the scheme is Maulava, a Riyadh-based, all-women kitchen run by chef Amal Almarzoog.
“The Social Development Bank helped me by providing the courses needed as a business owner, like marketing and business administration,” she said.
“It also helped me with my communication skills.”
Almarzoog said she would recommend SDB to other small-business owners, “because they will get all the necessary support to develop their projects.”
The SDB training program supports Saudi Vision 2030 and its goals to lower the unemployment rate, increase women’s participation in the workforce and expand the contribution of small and medium enterprises’ to 35 percent of gross domestic product by the end of the decade.
 


OIC chief meets Bangladeshi FM in Dhaka

OIC chief meets Bangladeshi FM in Dhaka
Updated 31 May 2023

OIC chief meets Bangladeshi FM in Dhaka

OIC chief meets Bangladeshi FM in Dhaka
  • Hissein Brahim Taha commends South Asian nation’s support for Rohingya refugees
  • Two sides discuss ways to boost cooperation

RIYADH: The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hissein Brahim Taha recently held a meeting with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in Dhaka.

The two men expressed their satisfaction with the level of cooperation between the OIC and Bangladesh and discussed ways and means to enhance it.

Taha commended the leadership of Bangladesh for providing humanitarian assistance and shelter to the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, while Momen conveyed his country’s appreciation for the important role played by the OIC and for its support for the Rohingya people.

On Tuesday, Taha attended the 35th convocation ceremony of the Islamic University of Technology in Dhaka. He thanked Bangladesh for hosting and supporting the university.

Taha, who is also chancellor of the IUT, commended the university for its outstanding efforts in nurturing intellectual growth, especially in technology.

He also emphasized the crucial role of education in empowering individuals and societies, and encouraged the graduates to use their knowledge and skills to make a positive impact on their communities, the Islamic world and the world at large.