The Ministry of Health and the General Presidency of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen efforts between the two bodies to educate society on moral values according to the teachings of Islam.

The agreement was signed by Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah and Abdullatif Al-Asheikh, chief of the commission, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Health in Riyadh in the presence of senior officials from the two organizations.

According to the agreement, the two bodies will cooperate with each other in the dissemination of information on moral religious values, behavior patterns, providing staff training, holding workshops and setting up public awareness programs.

Al-Asheikh said the agreement would further strengthen the relationship between the two bodies and open up new areas of cooperation in promoting virtue and preventing vice among members of society.

“The agreement would pave the way for a cultural dialogue between the government and the public in the prevention of vice,” Al-Asheikh said.

He said the commission had set up new departments for human rights in the fight against extortion, sorcery and the brewing and consumption of alcohol and to monitor cyber crimes.

He said the proposed awareness campaign would educate people on the hazards of drinking liquor and how it affects eyesight and organs like the liver.

He said more than 700 places where liquor was manufactured were brought to book in the past 15 months. Liquor is normally manufactured in the suburbs and in valleys not generally frequented by people, he said.

Al-Rabeeah said that the Ministry of Health had embarked on several programs to offer the best health care services to the people. Last year, ‘The Patients First’ program was introduced by the minister to inform health officials of the priority given to patients in the Kingdom.

“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah had made it clear that nothing is more important to him than public health,” the minister noted.

There are some 200,000 male and female employees working for the Ministry of Health to provide comprehensive health care services to the people, he said, adding that there are 140 hospitals and five medical cities in the Kingdom.

“We are in the process of planning another 1,500 primary health care centers to add to the existing 2,000 such centers throughout the Kingdom,” the minister added.