Abdullah Al-Harithy Okaz/Saudi Gazette HAIL — Prince Saud Bin Abdul Mohsen, Emir of Hail, said he would raise the issue of the health situation in the region and the shortcomings in the healthcare systems that led to the repetition of mistakes and the failure to tackle them with King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. In a telephone interview, he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette: “The healthcare system in the Kingdom needs comprehensive review and radical changes aiming to define and determine responsibilities precisely. I don't relieve the Ministry of Health from the problem because it is a big one. Matters are all linked to each other. They vary between the authorities and their sense of responsibility.” The problem came to spotlight after Abdul Aziz Al-Nekhailan, Director of Hail Hospital, announced his resignation after a medical malpractice complaint was lodged by the husband of a 26-year-old woman who was given the wrong type of blood resulting in a miscarriage. He attributed his resignation, which he sent to the director general of health affairs in the region, to several reasons, most important of which was the lack of cooperation on the part of the Directorate of Health Affairs leading to serious medical errors. He also noted the directorate's failure to fulfill the hospital's needs and delays in carrying out renovation work ordered by the Ministry of Health more than two years ago. In reaction to this, the ministry relieved some senior officials at the directorate from their posts. Asked what exactly happened at the Directorate of Health Affairs in Hail, Prince Saud said he didn't want to single out anyone for the incident that led to the resignations and dismissals. ‘The problem is not limited to medical errors but also to a system that needs to be restructured,” said the emir. “If a mistake occurs somewhere today it will recur tomorrow at another place. I read a piece of news during the investigation saying a fire broke out in a hospital. Anyone who read the news the way it was written must have thought that the entire hospital was burned. It was a small fire that resulted from a short circuit. It should be understood that hospitals have criteria and precautionary measures. Thus, staff can't leave the building unless the patients are evacuated. Thus such a matter shouldn't be raised without knowing the facts.” About plans to correct the situation, Prince Saud said, “We have two plans. The first one is a quick fix and the second one a long-term one. The emergency plan has been proposed by members of the regional council while the long-term solution lies in restructuring the system. This can only be tackled by the Ministry of Health. I believe the minister of health agrees to this.” Asked whether what happened at the Hail General Hospital was a normal phenomenon common in other places, Prince Saud said, “What happened in Hail is a general problem that happens in all regions. The problem is in our healthcare system. What happened was like a patient who is suffering from a virus infection. Instead of treating the root cause of the disease they start with the symptoms. This shows that the issue had nothing to do with a shortage of oxygen but stems from drastic shortcomings in the system. Such shortcomings are intolerable when dealing with people's lives.” Asked about the actions he would initiate to ensure corrective measures, Prince Saud replied: “It is high time to implement what I and the minister of health agreed on in words and deed. Thus we should come up with a system that runs on itself and it does not depend on certain individuals. We should not focus on criticism and arguments but on solutions, foremost of which is fixing responsibility.” About measures to ensure people's safety, the emir said, “I never accept any deficiency or shortcoming in any public facility. We will correct the situation and always work to improve the quality of work. I will tell the King about what had happened in Hail. I will not ignore the health system and the vision we have envisaged.” Asked why officials generally react late to people's problems, the prince said, “This should not happen at all even though time and again the officials surprise us by waiting to act until a disaster occurs. It is unacceptable that a citizen has to die before there is action from the concerned officials.”
