As part of the SR16 billion budget allocated for the health sector by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah signed five contracts worth more than SR1.4 billion on Saturday. The contracted projects include the first stage of the King Faisal Medical City in the southern province. Following the signing ceremony, Al-Rabeeah thanked King Abdullah for paying excellent attention to the health sector. He said the health care provided by the Kingdom clearly demonstrates the vision of the king, who is keen on providing equal health opportunities for people living in all parts of the Kingdom. The King Faisal Medical City will be built on an area of 262,836 square meters. It comprises a specialized hospital, eye hospital, cardiac and neuroscience hospitals with a total of 1,350 beds. It will also have 200 housing units and 200 independent apartments for its staff. The contract for the construction of the first stage of the King Faisal Medical City with a capacity of 500 beds at a cost of SR642 million, was signed by the minister with Al-Fawzan Trading and Contracting Company. The contract period is for three years. The minister also signed another contract for the construction of a 15-floor tower at a cost of SR448 million with Al-Rashed Contracting Company to be completed within a period of three years. Musad Al-Otaibi Contracting Company signed a SR252 million contract for a children and maternity hospital with a capacity of 300 beds in Sakaka in Al-Jouf. The minister signed two more contracts for the installation of generators and elevators in several Ministry of Health facilities throughout the Kingdom. The minister signed the contracts with Al-Baeez Contracting Company and Al-Khareef Company for SR108 million and SR25 million respectively to be fixed within a period of nine months. In early January, the ministry signed more than SR3 billion worth of contracts with 30 private sector companies for health projects. They included the construction of hospitals, supply of pharmaceutical products and equipment, biomedical engineering projects, hospital supplies and furnishing of newly built hospitals throughout the Kingdom. The contracted projects included the construction of a 300-bed hospital in Hail and another hospital in Abqaiq with a capacity of 100 beds. Contracts were also signed to establish new and furnish existing medical warehouses of the ministry that are located in different parts of the Kingdom. Besides updating the ministry\'s laboratories located in various regions, the contracts were also signed for the supply of CT scan machines, pharmaceutical products and medical apparatus needed for some hospitals and primary health care centers in the Kingdom. The Kingdom has an integrated health care system that covers both its citizens and expatriates in the country. The Ministry of Health under the leadership of Al-Rabeeah is a major player entrusted with the provision of preventive, curative and rehabilitative health care for the Kingdom’s population. It provides primary health care services through a network of 2,000 primary health care centers. The ministry is considered the lead government agency responsible for the management, planning, financing and regulating of the health care sector. The ministry also undertakes the overall supervision and follow-up of health care related activities carried out by the private sector.