RIYADH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Sunday approved several Saudi Health Council (SHC) decisions to develop quality and safety, including the unified contact number '2222' for emergency CPR cases across the country, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. These decisions are in line with the goals of the National Transformation Plan (NTP) 2020. Secretary General of the Saudi Health Council Dr. Nahar Al-Azmi said the decisions included the approval for a unified number "2222" for emergency CPR cases (CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation) in all government and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia, due to the direct impact on the speed of response in such emergency cases. Also included are all centers treating acute leukemia in all health sectors into a referral program named "Ihalati Program", meaning "my referral", and medical coordination in those sectors to facilitate admission and opening a file. This shall be implemented by the Ministry of Health for patients with acute leukemia and their rapid referral to specialized centers in hospitals where treatment for such cases is available, Dr. Al-Azmi said. He also said that the decisions included activating reverse referrals, from specialized centers to hospitals, especially for advanced cases that need palliative treatment only, and that the National Cancer Center in the SHC must prepare and present a report on the extent of implementation of this decision within three months from the date of its approval. Dr. Al-Azmi said that the decisions included the approval of the national plan for the development of quality and patient safety in health sectors prepared by the General Administration of National Health Economics and Policies, on behalf of the Secretariat General of the Saudi Health Council, and in cooperation with the relevant government and private health sectors. This will be achieved through a tight health system that places the patient at the top of priorities and by implementing quality management and patient safety principles and systems in the health sectors of the Kingdom, in addition to spreading a culture of quality within healthcare institutions and involving them in developing and inculcating this culture and developing the required competencies.
