Okaz/Saudi Gazette AL-LAITH – People of Al-Laith has asked the authorities to complete stalled healthcare and education projects quickly to meet the needs of a growing population in the Red Sea coastal city. Patients in different parts of Al-Laith groan about a lack of medical facilities in the city. They say they have to travel hundreds of kilometers to either Jeddah or Makkah to receive advanced medical care. The city has a dilapidated public hospital while work on a new hospital has been disrupted because of unknown reasons. Residents of Al-Laith have been dreaming about an advanced public hospital for several years. Though the construction of such a facility has started, it remains incomplete to date. Residents believe the delay in implementing healthcare projects in Al-Laith is because the governorate comes under the Health Affairs Directorate in faraway Jeddah. They demanded a separate health affairs directorate for Al-Laith considering the city's growing population and its overall development. Following the break out of scabies in Al-Laith and Adham affecting a number of students, the Ministry of Health promised the establishment of an advanced hospital in Al-Laith, strengthening of its health centers and introduction of new specialty clinics at the existing hospital. Faisal Al-Zahrani, spokesman for the ministry, said work on the new Al-Laith hospital was completed and it was just awaiting for power connection to start functioning. His statement was obviously aimed at calming the residents who are angry over the long delay in implementing the much-needed project. People of Al-Laith are asking the ministry when the hospital would be completed and how many years more they have to wait. The ministry had promised to complete the hospital 10 years ago. Okaz/Saudi Gazette visited the existing hospital and found it lacked adequate facilities and manpower to treat patients. There were only one doctor and two nurses – a Filipino and an Egyptian – to take care of all patients, including women and children. At the entrance of Al-Laith on the Jeddah-Jazan Expressway there is a big sign saying the site for a proposed university campus. A taxi driver said colleges in Al-Laith were operating from rented buildings. Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, residents urged the authorities to implement the campus project quickly to upgrade higher education facilities in the city. "Many of our students are now traveling to Jeddah and Makkah daily to attend university," said one parent. Students Mohsen Al-Fahmi, Ali Al-Ammari and Saleh Al-Dhubyani joined the call to execute the campus project without further delay. "The project will give both male and female students in Al-Laith easy access to university education. At present they have to travel long distances to get higher education in specializations they prefer," said Al-Fahmi. Some of the students have lost their lives in road accidents while traveling to Jeddah and Makkah.By Abdul Aziz Al-Rubaie Okaz/Saudi Gazette AL-LAITH – People of Al-Laith has asked the authorities to complete stalled healthcare and education projects quickly to meet the needs of a growing population in the Red Sea coastal city. Patients in different parts of Al-Laith groan about a lack of medical facilities in the city. They say they have to travel hundreds of kilometers to either Jeddah or Makkah to receive advanced medical care. The city has a dilapidated public hospital while work on a new hospital has been disrupted because of unknown reasons. Residents of Al-Laith have been dreaming about an advanced public hospital for several years. Though the construction of such a facility has started, it remains incomplete to date. Residents believe the delay in implementing healthcare projects in Al-Laith is because the governorate comes under the Health Affairs Directorate in faraway Jeddah. They demanded a separate health affairs directorate for Al-Laith considering the city's growing population and its overall development. Following the break out of scabies in Al-Laith and Adham affecting a number of students, the Ministry of Health promised the establishment of an advanced hospital in Al-Laith, strengthening of its health centers and introduction of new specialty clinics at the existing hospital. Faisal Al-Zahrani, spokesman for the ministry, said work on the new Al-Laith hospital was completed and it was just awaiting for power connection to start functioning. His statement was obviously aimed at calming the residents who are angry over the long delay in implementing the much-needed project. People of Al-Laith are asking the ministry when the hospital would be completed and how many years more they have to wait. The ministry had promised to complete the hospital 10 years ago. Okaz/Saudi Gazette visited the existing hospital and found it lacked adequate facilities and manpower to treat patients. There were only one doctor and two nurses – a Filipino and an Egyptian – to take care of all patients, including women and children. At the entrance of Al-Laith on the Jeddah-Jazan Expressway there is a big sign saying the site for a proposed university campus. A taxi driver said colleges in Al-Laith were operating from rented buildings. Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, residents urged the authorities to implement the campus project quickly to upgrade higher education facilities in the city. "Many of our students are now traveling to Jeddah and Makkah daily to attend university," said one parent. Students Mohsen Al-Fahmi, Ali Al-Ammari and Saleh Al-Dhubyani joined the call to execute the campus project without further delay. "The project will give both male and female students in Al-Laith easy access to university education. At present they have to travel long distances to get higher education in specializations they prefer," said Al-Fahmi. Some of the students have lost their lives in road accidents while traveling to Jeddah and Makkah.
