Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah inaugurated 420 health projects and laid foundation stones for 127 other health facilities worth SR 12 billion in a function at his palace in Jeddah yesterday. The king pressed the buttons announcing the inauguration and laying of foundation stones of the projects. During the function the king stressed the importance of hard work and honesty. "May Allah bless you and create many like you as you are hardworking men. People speak too much but what is important is honesty. The most correct is the good work. I pray to Allah Almighty to help you serve your religion and nation. This is what I wish and this is what every citizen wishes. Thank you," the king said. "These projects, which are considered a cultural qualitative shift, are in fact the largest event in the history of the Ministry of Health," Minister of Health Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said. The newly opened projects comprised 29 hospitals and health facilities and 391 primary health care centers, the minister said. The king also laid the foundation stones for two medical cities in the northern and southern regions, projects in three medical cities, a specialist hospital, seven public hospitals, two medical towers, 73 digitized operation theaters and 111 primary health care centers, the minister said. With these new additions, the number of hospitals commissioned by the ministry over the last three years reached 54 and primary health care units 645, the minister said. The ministry is currently constructing 122 hospitals and medical towers, 305 primary health care units and is planning to double beds in its hospitals in the next seven years. Highlighting his ministry's qualitative performance, Al-Rabeeah said 10 Saudi hospitals won the Accreditation Certificate by the US Accreditation Authority for Public Health Program and 30 other hospitals of the Accreditation certificate of the Saudi National Committee on Quality Assurance. The king began the launching ceremony of the new projects by pressing a button signifying the opening of several Haj health projects including the East Arafat hospital with 236 beds and 10 health centers at the cost of SR 153. 45 million. After that the king pressed buttons to open 28 hospitals and specialist departments at the cost of SR 3.89 billion. They include the King Faisal Hospital in Taif, the Maternity and Children's hospital in Makkah, the Maternity and Children's hospital in Dammam, each of them with 500 beds, and the South Riyadh hospital and Al-Quwaeiyah hospital in Riyadh province with 200 beds each. The Badaei hospital in Qassim and Jazan Medical Tower have 100 beds each. The ceremony also involved the renovation of the Al-Noor hospital, Badr Al-Janoub and Yadmah hospitals in Najran and Al-Khobah and Al-Raith hospitals in Jazan and some other hospitals in Asir and Qassim provinces. These hospitals will provide 2,600 additional beds, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The newly inaugurated 381 primary health centers worth SR 1.38 billion cover all provinces in the Kingdom. The king also viewed a video presentation of these projects. The SR 3.79 billion projects for which the king laid foundation stones yesterday include the Prince Muhammad Medical City (phase one) meant for the northern provinces, the King Faisal Medical City (phase one) for the southern provinces, and the third tower of the King Saud Medical City in Riyadh with 400 beds and the construction of the Neurology Center in King Abdullah Medical city in Makkah, specialization centers in King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh and a specialized hospital in Jazan with 500 beds. Arab News
