“Both flights leave Rafha at noon on Sundays and Tuesdays. This schedule is not at all convenient for the people in the region,” said local resident Naif Salem Al-Duwai.
“Saudia’s cutting of services to the region has caused much difficulty for the people in the region,” said Abdullah Al-Shahri, another local resident. “The ill are the worst victims as many of them have been unable to receive specialist treatment and because they have not been able to meet physicians on time.”
Saleh Al-Shahri, a citizen, said that he had missed appointment of a consultant physician for his sick relative, who needs specialist treatment at King Fahd Hospital in Riyadh, due to inability to reach there. “It is very difficult for us, especially the sick and disabled among us, to cross the long distance to and from Rafha and Riyadh by road, he said. Therefore, many sick people have been missing chances to
seek treatment at specialist hospitals in the capital city,” he said.
Saudia used to offer seven weekly flights, but it stopped
service in November 2007 after the upstart carrier Nas Air began service there.
In June Nas stopped service and two months later Saudia began offering two
weekly flights. Rafha has a population of about 100,000 people.
Iyad Al-Moaily, director of Rafha Central Hospital, said
that cutting of services by Saudia has adversely affected a large number of the
sick people in the region.
“More than 200 patients, who get appointment to consult
doctors at specialist hospitals in Riyadh in a month failed to reach there as
they are unable to travel the 1,600 km by road. We are also forced to cancel
programs of specialist doctors,” he said.
Saudia declined to comment.
