The article by Sabria S. Jawhar “Patients’ rights: A dream yet to be realized in KSA” (Dec.12) was very important and timely.

She has rightly pointed out that the authorities are just focusing on the construction of state-of-the-art health facilities and importing latest equipment. These efforts are commendable but without considering the importance of quality service and patients’ rights, they would not be able to achieve the desired results.

Honestly speaking, this situation is not unique to Saudi Arabia; the same is the case in the sub-continent. There are laws in place defining patients’ rights but only on paper. What is required is the effective implementation of those laws.

I really find it difficult to comprehend the regressive attitudes in Saudi Arabia, which has the potential to make great headway in almost every field. At this point, I must say that education plays an important role in the progress of any country. Without proper education, no matter how wealthy a country is, it can never achieve prosperity in the true sense. — Shahzad Burni, Dammam