King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, honored 407 doctors, dentists and pharmacists by gracing their graduation ceremony organized by the Saudi Council for Health Specializations here Tuesday. The King awarded certificates of excellence to the graduates who passed with honors. The young men and women were doctors, dentists and pharmacists who successfully completed their MD and fellowship in 34 specializations. The Council has 56 applied programs. Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Rabea, Minister of Health, in his speech noted the government's huge investment in developing human resources “so as to create a strong base for highly qualified national cadres who can contribute to the country's progress and citizens' well-being.” He said the new salary scale approved by the King for the ministry's medical staff is based on the following criteria: justice, equality, experience, excellence and rarity of specializations so as to give everyone what they really deserved. Dr. Hussein Muhammed Al-Ferahi, the Council's Secretary General, said in his speech that with this year's 407 graduates, the Council has graduated 2,620 men and women in more than 34 specializations.
