A Canadian cardiovascular expert, Robert C. Welsh, said that the Kingdom has excellent medical centers in key cities but these should be made readily available for sick people in far-flung areas.

“The Kingdom has excellent medical centers and well-trained doctors. However, people in remote areas, have difficulty in availing of these facilities and the doctors’ services,” he said.

Welsh, a professor of medicine at the University of Alberta, made the statement to Arab News on the sidelines of the 26th Annual Conference of the 1,000-member Saudi Heart Association (SHA) here. The conference ends on Monday.

He noted the “complexity of traffic as well as the large regions in the desert.” The Kingdom is spread over 2,150,000 sq. km. and about 80 percent of the Arabian Peninsula.

Consequently, Welsh noted, many small hospitals don’t have easy access to the outstanding and expert care in the Kingdom’s major centers.

Asked what should be done to solve the problem, Welsh said: “ A big and important move for the Kingdom would be the establishment of a better system of care for all patients.”

That means providing the necessary infrastructure, which takes years to undertake.

Welsh also said that there is a need for open communication among the people concerned. Education about the strength and weaknesses of the system should also be undertaken.

He noted that the excellent medical centers are delivering world-class care daily but the steps to get to these facilities for many people are challenging.

He said that there is a need for improved primary health care and in inter-hospital transportation.

He added that in this regard, the SHA conference is very important since it enables participation from various countries to know their own practice and understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Dr. Khalid Fayez Al-Habib, SHA president and professor of medicine at the King Saud University (KSU), added that with this year’s conference, a new SHA branch will open in the next few months at Madinah.

“With the formal opening of the conference on Saturday night, we’ll honor the people who will establish it,” Al-Habib said.

Another project is the establishment of the Council of National Acute Myocardiac Infarction Registry.

“Another project is the foundation of the 4th Mohammed Al Faqih Research Award to show our support for research,” he added.