RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has approved a new grading system for Saudi health care professionals, Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said yesterday. The minister was speaking at the graduation ceremony of a new batch of Saudi physicians at the Saudi Council for Health Specialties (SCHS) headquarters here.
Al-Rabeeah also revealed that the king, who inaugurated the ceremony, would support the SCHS budget with the infusion of SR15 million for the next three years in recognition of its role in capacity building and professional development of the health care professionals.
Four hundred and seven Saudi physicians were awarded the Saudi Board Fellowship Certificate (SBFC) by SCHS.
The minister underscored the king’s gesture and encouragement in attending the event. He extolled Saudi physicians to excel in their studies and be better equipped to serving their country by acquiring the latest knowledge.
The minister said the new system would remove the disparity among Saudi physicians working at different health care centers in the Kingdom by extending the principles of justice and equality to all of them. He said the government will also take into account such factors as experience and specialization in determining the pay structure.
The graduation ceremony, the 12th edition since SCHS’ establishment in 1993, witnessed the largest batch of Saudi physicians to ever graduate at SCHS. The 407 graduates, of whom 165 are women, received their certificates in 34 specialties, said SCHS Secretary-General Dr. Hussein Al-Furaihi.
With the graduation of this batch, the number of Saudi physicians awarded the Saudi Fellowship Certificate reached 2,620. The graduation of new physicians is expected to ease the shortage of senior physicians in the Saudi health care system.
