JEDDAH: The Kingdom’s new health strategy, which was endorsed by the Council of Ministers on Monday, gives greater powers to the Health Ministry in terms of monitoring performance, setting out policies and ensuring health services for all groups of people.
“The new strategy also aims at improving the efficiency of first aid medical services to the highest level, developing human resources and nationalizing health sector jobs,” Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said after Monday’s Cabinet meeting.
The Cabinet, which was presided over by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, emphasized the need for a balanced distribution of health facilities across the country and for making health services easily accessible to the public.
The Cabinet also decided to allow any licensed bank in the Kingdom to establish a one-man company that would be fully owned by the bank. Such a company could be either a limited liability or joint-stock company and its activities would have to be within the limits of activities for which the bank is licensed.
Khoja said the Cabinet expressed its satisfaction over the recovery of 98 percent of people suffering from swine flu in the Kingdom.
King Abdullah briefed the ministers on the outcome of his talks with prominent world leaders during the past week, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom’s support for the Palestinians to establish an independent state that would ensure their national unity. Khoja said the Cabinet congratulated the king on the commencement of studies at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST in Thuwal, near Jeddah. Last Saturday 400 students selected from different countries began their studies at the global research university.
The Cabinet commended Prince Muhammad bin Naif, assistant interior minister for security affairs, for receiving the King Abdul Aziz Sash of the First Order from King Abdullah in appreciation of his outstanding efforts in the service of the country.
The Cabinet endorsed the restructuring of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority. Its board of directors will include its president, vice president and representatives from the Health Ministry, Social Affairs Ministry, General Authority of Civil Aviation and Human Rights Commission in addition to seven others to be appointed by the Cabinet for three years, whose membership can be renewed for one more term. Its president will have the rank of a minister.
The Cabinet also approved the Kingdom’s accession to the UN Agreement on Explosive Remnants of War. It authorized the labor minister or his deputy to hold talks with Malaysian officials in order to sign an agreement for cooperation in technical and vocational training.
The Cabinet appointed Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Abu Ubat, as ambassador; Ghoram bin Saeed Melhan, Hisham bin Abdul Wahab Zaraa, Saud bin Saad Al-Thubaity and Abdul Kareem bin Saeed Al-Johani as ministers plenipotentiary at the Foreign Ministry, and Abdullah bin Muhammad Marghalani, director general of the Haj Ministry’s office in Jeddah.
