JEDDAH — A SR2 billion medical city is the only one of the new health projects to be built in Jeddah, said the head of Jeddah Health Affairs Dr. Sami Badawood. He said his organization has also finalized the SR362 million King Abdullah Complex, which has 500 beds.
He said Jeddah Health Affairs is ensuring that all pilgrims have taken vaccines against meningitis, poliomyelitis, cholera, yellow fever and dengue fever.
All airport and port workers have taken the vaccines, he said.
“We have the honor of serving pilgrims and we are ready and have prepared the needed staff, medication and vaccines,” he said.
Badawood said the health of arriving pilgrims would be monitored by health observation centers both at King Abdulaziz International Airport and Jeddah Islamic Seaport to ensure that no infectious or epidemic diseases pass through.
He called on these centers to check specifically for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, commonly known as coronavirus, and Ebola.
Abdul Gani Al-Malki, head of the observation center at KAIA, said his organization now has 620 health staff working during the Haj season.
He said his staff are working around the clock to implement the health precautions that pilgrims need to adhere to prior to performing Haj.
This includes showing evidence of no infectious or epidemic diseases.
Health staff will be checking pilgrims’ medical documents, providing any needed health care and transferring critical cases to Jeddah hospitals.
There are 100 health employees working at the port, but according to the head of the center at the port, Adel Turkistani, this number is enough to monitor pilgrims at the port.
Jeddah Health Affairs has provided training sessions to 320 staff who underwent training on dengue fever.
It distributed last year 134,000 brochures, 54,000 fliers and set up 98 stands both in public and private health institutes.
Four hundred and sixty-nine awareness lectures have been given in schools, shopping centers and mosques.
UPCOMING PROJECTS
Upcoming and current health projects in Jeddah
• A SR310 million hospital in east Jeddah with 300 beds. It will also receive a dormitory and furnishings worth SR180 million, as well as a SR150 million ER center with 200 beds.
• King Fahd Hospital now has 270 new beds at its new SR97 million medical wing.
• A SR379 million children and maternity hospital with 400 beds is currently being built in north Jeddah. It will also get a SR150 million dormitory for its staff.
• A new SR65 million medical wing at Al-Oyoun (Eye) Hospital.
• A SR70 million recovery shelter for psychiatric health.
• New health centers are being built in various Jeddah districts and rural areas, taking the total number to 32.
• There a various projects being offered for tender, consisting of a SR14.5 million tuberculosis hospital, a SR70 million dentist center at King Abdulaziz Hospital with 100 clinics and a SR20 million regional laboratory and blood bank.
• Projects approved in previous annual budgets but yet to start construction include a SR50 million dormitory for employees of King Fahd Hospital and a SR250 million psychiatric hospital with 500 beds.
• Recently approved projects include a SR25 million dental center in Al-Laith with 25 clinics and a SR72 million refurbishment of Al-Laith hospital. © The Saudi Gazette 2014