Minister of Health Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Manie has extended thanks to and appreciation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for their continued support for and generous sponsorship of health services. In a press statement, he emphasized the ministry's keenness to develop health services and upgrade the performance of health facilities, pointing out that health services witnessed a great leap both in the quantity and quality of all preventive, therapeutic, diagnostic and rehabilitative levels where the number of patients who came to the facilities of the Ministry of Health were more than 55 million annually and it is expected to rise to 75 million in the coming period. During the past five years the clinical capacity of the affiliate hospitals of the Ministry of Health has been on the increase. In 1426 H. 26 new hospitals were operating, bringing to 213 the number of hospitals and to 30317 the clinical capacity. In 1427 H. four new hospitals were opened at a capacity of 50-bed each in several cities and towns in addition to a 100-bed eye hospital in Dhahran, bringing to 218 the number of hospitals and to 30617 the number of beds. In 1428 H. the number reached 225 hospitals with 31420 beds, the Minister said. This year, work on 29 new hospitals have been completed to bring to 32420 the number of beds which will be opened by the end of the year, he added. -- More
