RIYADH: The Ministry of Health's Assistant Director General of Medical Affairs, Dr. Sabri Al-Saqqat, called for unified efforts among education institutes, hospitals and relevant bodies to provide vocational privileges and create a proper work environment to attract qualified nurses, which are needed to address shortages. Speaking Tuesday at the 20th Nursing Symposium in the Security Forces Hospital, Dr. Al-Saqqat noted that nurses play a key role in supporting integrated health care services; they are the main pillars of medical work at all stages and are close to patients and their requirements. “We cannot maintain outstanding health care services at our medical establishments without supporting and rehabilitating the national workforce specialized in nursing,” he said. “The rate of Saudi nurses in both private and government hospitals is very low. Studies of the Workforce Council and the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties show there is an acute shortage in the national, qualified workforce in nursing.” To keep pace with the huge demand for medical establishments' service, a lot more national, qualified nurses are needed, he said. Dr. Muhammad Asiri, Director of the Academic Affairs Department and head of the Organizing Committee, said officials at the gathering are discussing the role of nursing in the safety of patients and with the medical teams “which is a matter the hospitals' management are paying great attention.” During the symposium there will be 15 working papers presented by an elite group of specialists from in and outside the hospital.
