JEDDAH — A high-level committee comprising officials from five ministries is currently studying a mechanism to bring back hundreds of Saudi autism patients getting treatment abroad, following a directive issued by higher authorities to study their cases. Dr. Faleh Bin Manawir Al-Rushaidi, supervisor of medical services at the Ministry of Social Affairs, said the directive covers handicapped Saudi patients including children with autism who are under treatment at specialized medical centers in Jordan. "The move aims at studying the requirements of these patients including health and rehabilitation services," Al-Rushaidi told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.He said the committee, which includes representatives from the ministries of health, social affairs, education, finance and foreign affairs would present its report to the higher authorities. Dr. Al-Rushaidi estimated the total number of autism patients in the Kingdom at 250,000. "We don't have the exact number of autism cases in the country. We are now in the process of setting out a strategy to provide these patients with the best care in coordination with other ministries and government departments," he explained. He said the Ministry of Social Affairs has been dealing with autism cases in partnership with the ministries of health and education. "This is part of our efforts to provide integrated services to children with autism," he added. Al-Rushaidi commended the initiative taken by Social Affairs Minister Dr. Majed Al-Qassabi to establish a full-fledged center in Jeddah to provide various services to autism patients. "Work on the National Autism Center began three months ago," he said, adding that the center would provide quality services to such patients. Autism demands highly specialized doctors and paramedical staff as well as specialized clinics and early diagnosis and intervention, he said, adding that the center would be given independence in technical and administrative matters to ensure high quality services. "We have designed the Jeddah center to become a model for others to follow," Al-Rushaidi said. "Efforts are under way to establish partnership with international autism centers of excellence to make use of their expertise in order to improve its services," he said. The center would provide comprehensive health and rehabilitation services and provide training to technical staff. Two more autism centers are under construction in Riyadh and Dammam. "We have completed 60 percentof the project in Dammam and 30 percent in Riyadh," he said, adding that the ministry is trying its best to overcome the challenges posed by contractors. "Some of these centers will be ready within two years," he said.
