TAIF: Taif Health Affairs Directorate's pre-marriage examination program has registered 2,000 cases where couples were advised against getting married because of illnesses, said Saeed Al-Zahrani, Directorate spokesman. The program, which has conducted more than 100,000 pre-marriage tests, is one of several steps the Directorate has taken to improve the medical care it provides, he added. Al-Zahrani said the Directorate has added “13 modern programs” that have improved medical services and reduced pressure and crowding in hospitals and health-care centers. One program provides 550 patients with at-home services by consultants, specialists and a team of nurses according to a schedule of visits, he said. Another program, which provides one-day surgeries, is similar to those implemented at major hospitals in the city. The program has conducted 3,000 operations, which increased the number of beds available for patients in need of hospitalization, Al-Zahrani said. He said 400 visits had been conducted by the visiting-team program that sends doctors to hospitals in remote towns so patients do not have to travel to the city.
