RIYADH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has ordered the transfer and treatment of a morbidly obese man at King Fahd Medical City (KFMC) in Riyadh. Discussing the case on Sunday, Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said Khalid Mohsin Shaeri was 610 kg, preventing him from moving normally. He said: “It is really a humanitarian gesture from the King to order the transfer and treatment of the patient. “It is one of the King's traits that he always demonstrates whenever someone is in need. “Once the ministry received the royal order it formed a medical team specialized in intensive care to work out the best plan to transfer the case to Riyadh and handle it as best as possible medically.” Arrangements also are under way with other government departments such as the Ministry of Defense's medical air evacuation department to arrange for the patient's air transport. The Health Ministry has also been liaising with the Civil Defense, KFMC and the Saudi Red Crescent to provide logistical support.
While Shaeri's case could be the heaviest obesity case to be handled medically in the Kingdom so far, the ministry dealt with similar cases this year. On Saturday, it was announced that a 27-year-old patient weighing 250 kg had a successful laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at KFMC. In early June, it was announced by the ministry that the treatment of two obese siblings, Majed and Rana, who weighed 350 and 300 kilograms respectively and are currently undergoing treatment at Dammam's Medical Tower, had witnessed a breakthrough when a specialized medical expert team from abroad was called to the Kingdom to study the best treatment solutions for them.
