The lack of specialized centers for patients with Down’s Syndrome in the Kingdom has caused many patients and families to suffer as the scarcity of this service forces them to sometimes travel far to follow up on their children’s cases.

A number of families in Baha, Tihama and Badia regions have called on the Ministries of Health and Social Affairs to open specialized centers for Down’s Syndrome patients to save families time and effort, especially those whose children require constant support.

Maimoona Al-Ghamdi, a resident of Baha and mother to a child with Down’s Syndrome, said the state provides significant care for people with special needs, but Baha lacks a specialized center to provide care for her child and many other children like hers, who need care, support, advice and guidance. She said these centers are also necessary to provide help for parents who are unaware of how to deal with these situations without supervision from licensed therapists and counselors.

“I used to take my son, aged 7, to a clinic dealing with such cases ... It was frequented by more than 10 people with the same affliction ... But the center was closed down. My son used to benefit greatly from the clinic and now no alternatives are available,” explained the father of a Down’s Syndrome patient.

Soroor Al-Ghamdi, coordinator of the National Program for Growth and Behavior Disorders, said there are no centers or facilities for autistic children in Baha, despite the presence of over 90 cases that need to be addressed.

Al-Ghamdi said the visiting physician program received tremendous support from several departments, which has contributed to the success of its first trial in the area. For an entire month, the clinic provided services at Beljarshy General Hospital to patients and family, ranging from diagnosis and treatment, to training, education, awareness and community services.

Baha Health Affairs Department spokesman Ahmad Moyeed said the department has approved the opening of a clinic at Beljarshy General Hospital for patients with Down’s syndrome. He said multiple requests for specialized centers have prompted action, as the number of patients in the area has spiked in recent years.