This new state-of-the-art private hospital located in the city center of Riyadh has currently 94 beds in operation spread across different specialties, including 13 high-tech beds at the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU).

The hospital, which went through a complete makeover, including new flooring, was formally inaugurated by Shaikh Abdul Mohasin Ali Al-Mubarak, chairman of Mubarak Hospital, yesterday. Bassam Ibrahim Al-Yahya, head of the hospital division at the MOH, and Abdul Rahman Al-Yousaf, another senior MOH official besides a large number of doctors, paramedical staff, businessmen and guests attended the ceremony.

Nassar Al-Asseeri, administration director of the hospital, said the facility will introduce a “novel concept of health care in which patients will be given best treatment at the lowest possible cost.” The hospital doors are open for Saudi citizens and expatriates alike. The hospital has five major operating theaters along with a CT scan unit, high-resolution MRI machine and incubators besides all other world-class medical gadgets.

In addition, the hospital has sprawling internal courtyards, and has a large concourse/entrance area with waiting and children’s play areas, a cafe and shop. Asseeri added that the hospital is one of the few private sector health care facilities, which will have full-fledged clinics for patients suffering from psychiatric problems and urological disorders.

Mubarak Hospital is already negotiating with several medical insurance companies, which will ensure health care accessibility to their cardholders. Briefing the press, the hospital’s Operation Manager Shahsa Hassan Ali, said: “We are delighted to open this state-of-the-art facility.” She added that the hospital will shortly embark on an expansion plan under which 20 to 30 beds will be added to the existing facility.

The hospital has already hired more than 50 top-notch Saudi and expatriate doctors. “About 20 doctors from Pakistan and more than nine from India will arrive in Riyadh within a few weeks from now,” she said and pointed out that the hospital offers specialties of cardiology, dermatology, diabetics, digestive system, internal and infectious diseases, a kidney and urology unit, neurology, a psychiatry clinic, lung and rheumatic diseases.

It also includes a general surgery unit, an orthopedic unit, and an ENT clinic. The hospital, she said, has a modern gynecology clinic, a pediatric department, and a dentistry unit besides a number of support departments. The hospital has its own pharmacy for providing patients with medicines prescribed by specialist physicians and provision of services corresponding to applicable drug precautions and professional regulations.

Prominent among the guests present at the inauguration included Khalid Al-Dakeelullah Al-Khathami, Mohammed Luthfy Abdudawood, Nasser Al-Aseeri, Faisal Al-Mubarak, Shahsa Hassan Ali, Shaheem Mohammed Unni, regional director of Lulu Hypermarkets, Shaji Aripra, Ashraf Venghat, V.M. Ashraf, Shaji Alapuzha, Shihab Kottukad, Shakeeb Kolakkadan, Noufal Palakodan, Rafeeq Hassan and Abdul Kareem Faizi.

There are 21 hospitals and complexes for mental health and 99 psychiatric clinics that are equipped with 2,811 beds, said Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Hemaidhi at the national conference for the treatment of addictions organized by Al-Amal Complex For Mental Health.

There are plans to expand the number of beds in current hospitals, in addition to expansion projects for existing hospitals, he had said. Al-Hemaidhi said there were 677 psychiatrists working in these centers.

In addition, there are 428 psychiatric specialists, 872 social specialists, and 3,182 nurses, he claimed. There are plans for 14 hospitals in different parts of the Kingdom, he announced. A pioneer project of the ministry is to provide psychiatric services through primary health care centers, he said.

The General Manager of Riyadh Health Affairs Dr. Adnan Al-Abdulkarim said a number of experts and specialists in addiction treatment participated in the conference. He added that the ministry plans to build a new complex with 500 beds.

“King Abdullah’s gesture reflects his care for the security officers and their families,” the minister said, adding that the two medical cities would provide specialized health services to all citizens in the Kingdom. Prince Muhammad said the two medical cities, with advanced facilities and specialist doctors, would receive patients transferred from other hospitals including the ministry’s hospitals in different parts of the country.

“There is a plan to establish a network of hospitals under the ministry as part of efforts to provide integrated medical services,” the prince said. “The two medical cities in Riyadh and Jeddah were planned to provide specialized health services to the ministry’s staff and security officers,” he added.

In a related development, an 800-bed hospital will be established at Taibah University in Madinah. Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari has signed a contract to implement the hospital project. He said the new hospital would be established on an area of 46,600 sq. meters. “If we consider the space on its different floors, the total area of the hospital will reach 221,500 sq. meters,” the rector said. The hospital will be located on King Abdul Aziz Road, east of Madinah. In the first phase, it will contain 400 beds, which will be increased to 800 in the second phase. “The university hospital will have all the clinics, in addition to nursing and educational facilities, operation rooms and laboratories,” Al-Mazroue said. The building will have eight floors in addition to a ground floor and a mezzanine floor. It will have 750 doctors and teaching staff, 2,350 students, 475 nurses, 800 patients, 700 administrators and workers, 2,850 visitors and will have a capacity to hold more than 10,000 people.

Field surveys indicated that Riyadh and Jeddah are most in need of an increase in hospital beds. The National Center for Health Information will be linked with the Health Services Council and will be connected with the Ministry of Health, medical services in the military, university hospitals, and other related institutions. The center will be the main institution for the provision, organization and exchange of information among health bodies.

It will create a unified electronic health file for each patient by electronically linking medical records in various health sectors, including hospitals and community health centers. The center will collect and set up research data on common diseases and epidemics in coordination with relevant authorities.

Deze investeringen bieden interessante kansen voor het Nederlandse bedrijfsleven. Daarom organiseert de Holland Gulf Chamber of Commerce een handelsmissie naar de Saudishe medische sector. Van 3 t/m 5 juni 2012 wordt een delegatie van innovatieve Nederlandse architecten, consultants en toeleveranciers van bouwmaterialen, medische systemen en diensten op hoog niveau geïntroduceerd bij de belangrijkste aanbesteders van medische projecten. Er is grote interesse in Nederlandse kennis en expertise in Saudi: “Dutch medical companies are welcome to visit us and show us their knowledge and expertise in hospital build and fit out especially now that we are having plans to build new hospitals and upgrade existing ones across the Kingdom”, afdeling inkoop van het Ministerie van Volksgezondheid.

Tijdens de missie worden deelnemers gekoppeld aan private en publieke beslissers zoals Saudi Ministry of Health, Ministry of Defence, Saudi Bin Laden Group en International Hospital Construction Company. Na afloop van de missie kunnen deelnemers doorreizen naar Dubai waar de Middle East Hospital Build wordt gehouden. Deze vakbeurs richt zich met name op ziekenhuisbouw in de Golfregio. Voor meer informatie, kijk op: http://www.hgcoc.com/hospitalbuild-ksa-2012/