New Yanbu hospital to serve 300,000 people

Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed opened a 300-bed general hospital in the industrial city of Yanbu on Wednesday. The hospital was established at a cost of SR220 million.The opening ceremony was attended by Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Madinah Police Director Maj. Gen. Saud Al-Ahmadi and Dr. Abdullah Al-Taifi, health director in the province.The governor accompanied by Al-Rabeeah and other senior officials toured the advanced facilities at the hospital that has started operating at full capacity. He also visited some patients and wished them a quick recovery.He also laid the foundation for a kidney center at the hospital. The 30-bed center, which is to cost SR18 million, will operate in a two-floor building. The hospital will serve about 300,000 people in Yanbu and its surrounding villages.“It will serve as a referral hospital for people of Badr, Al-Eis, Yanbu Al-Nakhl and Umluj,” an official statement said, adding that the construction cost reached about SR110 million, while the cost for furnishing and equipping the facility amounted to SR110 million.The hospital has 20 specialized clinics for rheumatism, dermatology, general surgery, internal medicine, maternity and children, ophthalmology, ENT, dentistry, cardiology, neurology and urology.Meanwhile, Al-Rabeeah commended the new budget for 2012, which has allocated SR87 billion for health and social development, adding it would boost health services across the country. “At present there are 195 health projects under construction including five health cities and 97 hospitals,” the minister said, adding that 44 hospitals are being renovated.The new projects also include 22 medical towers, eight diabetes centers, 11 dental centers and 13 medical laboratories and blood banks.“All these projects, which are estimated to cost SR41 billion, will cover all parts of the Kingdom and contribute to improving health services,” Al-Rabeeah said.