The Ministry of Health has reported that less than 50 percent of Saudis trust the services offered by First Aid Medical Centers. A source said the ministry launched an e-survey to measure how satisfied the general public was with First Aid Medical Centers provided in every neighborhood. "The ministry is currently developing and enhancing First Aid Medical Centers and running regular surveys to ensure that the people in the neighborhood are benefiting from the center. The recently launched survey targeted people who were treated by these centers to ask them to give their evaluation on 23 different points," Makkah daily quoted the source as saying. The source added the ministry aims to enhance the first aid services it has through these centers as part of its vision of Saudi Arabia in 2020. "First aid is an essential part of health care in general. It has a vital role in levitating the rate of injury and decrease medicinal spending of the health institutes. Around 35 percent of these first aid centers are in need of enhancement," said the source. The source also said the survey shows that 70 percent of patients and visitors of the center are satisfied with their treatment in a first aid center. "The ministry is trying to improve these centers even more. The survey the ministry has set up contains the following key question points: distance of center to home, working hours of center, transference between center and hospital, calling the patient if they do not show up, providing all needed vaccinations, providing medical check-up for all members of the family, the number of staff," said the source. The source also said measuring the temperature, blood pressure and weight of the patient at every visit, providing health education for patients, the availability of medicine at the center's pharmacy, receiving test results in due time, informing the patient with the services the center provides. "Trusting in receiving the needed services, providing sufficient health care for children, communication with the staff, reviewing the medical file with every visit, having previous negative experiences, waiting time before seeing the doctor, the availability of services for the disabled and the elderly," said the source. The source also said the availability of a dental services unit, following up regularly with pregnant patients, following up regularly with chronic diseases patients and the availability of x-ray services upon demand.
