JEDDAH: As the private healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia evolves briskly, intellectual competence, professionalism excellence and innovative technological solutions are no doubt a leverage to stay on top – qualities that Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital (DSFH) are identified with. DSFH ranked number one in the healthcare sector and was nominated among the top seven Saudi companies in sustainability in the Global Competitiveness Forum 2010. It placed fourth among all participating firms. DSFH was recognized as a pioneer in radiology during the annual Arab Health Conference held in January 2010. Its Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging Department was selected as one of the best 3 nominees for Excellence in Imaging and Diagnostics by international judges selected from some of the biggest healthcare establishments. Besides, DSFH was re-accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI) in 2009 with a score of 9.67 out of 10, based on the findings of the Triennial Hospital Accreditation Survey. This year the hospital also opted for Periodic Survey from Australian Council on Healthcare Standards International (ACHSI) and was granted full compliance status. Yet the hospital does not rest on its laurels. Instead, it strives for other ways to further serve the best interest of the community and people. In 2009, DSFH was the first and only hospital in the Middle East to publish a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report abiding by the Global Reporting Index (GRI G3) Guidelines. In a gathering held at the hospital recently to launch its second Corporate Social Responsibility Report, Dr. Mazin Fakeeh, Director General of the hospital, reaffirmed the hospital's commitment to creating a safe and healthy working environment. He underscored the hospital's non-discriminatory equal opportunity employment policy while, at the same time, ensured the fair role of women in the workforce. The Saudi employment rate currently stands at 28 percent of the total workforce, he added. He told Saudi Gazette that last year alone, the hospital allocated SR5 million to its CSR budget, putting the money where the mouth is, so to speak. And it yielded good results, he said. For instance, DSFH initiated a community education center aimed at educating the community about medical issues and general life style – safety, environment, etc. “This creates positive changes in knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors,” Dr. Mazin said. Other programs include the establishment of the charity office and deducting SR1 from each patient's bill for the benefit of the charity office, he added. “Another example is our college of nursing and medical sciences which provides scholarships for needy students.” Moreover, the “Go Green” campaign launched by the hospital to save the environment through recycling program, together with water and energy saving, led to 30-50 percent energy saving, he noted. “The waste product of the hospital is known to be a risky product (infected waste, pathological waste), so by implementing waste management systems that take care of those wastes, we can ensure a safe environment,” Dr. Mazin asserted. “Our ‘Go Green' campaign was successful by implementing a digital environment which cut our stationery expenses by 700 percent,” he added. For this new year, the hospital's CSR will expand to address the top three killer diseases in Saudi Arabia, namely diabetes, obesity, hypertension. DSFH will launch soon (February) its anti-obesity campaign “to encourage behavioral change in children's diet and lifestyle through raising awareness about the danger of obesity and the benefits of fighting it.” “The trust and reputation that we have gained in the past 32 years, with some 4 million patients treated in our hospital, and our leadership in implementing different quality programs to ensure that our patients receive the best available healthcare services” catapulted DSFH to where it is now, Dr. Mazin said. “The ethical and responsible performance incorporated in our daily routine work differentiates us from many other hospitals,” he added. Emphasizing the alignment of CSR with its business strategy, DSFH will definitely remain as the torchbearer in “providing hope for the future of our environment, health and community as a whole.”
