9th December 2009 KUWAIT, Health Co-operation among member states of the GCC The Gulf Co-operation Council, started more than three decades ago, the assistant under-secretary of public health Kuwait Dr. Youssef Al-Nesif said on Tuesday.
Health issues will be given special attention at the GCC summit, due here in Kuwait on December 14, said Al-Nesif, also member of the executive board of the ministerial health council of the GCC countries, in remarks to Kuwati News Agency KUNA.
The GCC states have always sought new ways of interaction with experience of nations of the world and boosting cooperation with Arab and international organizations working in the health field through the unified purchase program of drugs and medical supplies and getting competitive prices from the pharmaceutical firms, he said.
He went on to say that there are some achievements made at the health level like dealing reciprocally with all GCC countries in providing health services, facilitating the transport of the medical teams among the GCC countries. This also includes setting up associations for the GCC doctors and accrediting them, and the establishment of a committee for pharmaceutical control to protect the GCC societies.
Al-Nesif has asserted the keeness of the GCC leaders to fight Cardiovascular and Nervous Diseases, besides their continuous finacial and morale support to the health sector.
The co-operation among the GCC countries commenced in the middle of 1970s with the establishment of council of health ministers in the Arab Gulf states in 1981, and consequently the Council of GCC Health Ministers in 1991