Dr. Ameen Al Amiri, Assistant undersecretary for Medical Practice and License, Ministry of Health (UAE), left; Sami Sulaiman Al-Akooz, Executive Manager of the Saudi Ozone Company. By Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette To provide the Kingdom's residents with the best possible healthcare, more than SR100 million will be invested by the Ministry of Health and other Saudi, Arab, and international private companies to create the first alternative medicine center in the country. The center will meet the highest international standards of medical treatment. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, has also emphasized on researching, and generously facilitating the provision of alternative medicines and medical ozone therapy in the Kingdom. Medical ozone therapy is new to the Middle East though it has been used in the European countries such as Germany for over four decades. Ozone is simply an energized form of oxygen. It is created when electric or ultraviolet energy causes oxygen atoms to temporarily recombine in groups of three. The result is an unstable, highly reactive molecule that can destroy other substances such as bacteria and viruses. Ozone was initially used to purify drinking water. The Saudi Ozone Company, the first company in the Middle East, will be a strong participant in this positive initiative, which will work in the direction of improving and expanding health care options in the country. Among the objectives of the Saudi Ozone company is the construction and establishment of several medical centers to provide patients with the latest, safe and inexpensive treatments. In addition, the company plans to organize educational forums and workshops that aim to raise the society's awareness regarding alternative and complementary medicines. In a public statement, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Mite'b Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, said, “Based upon our belief in our national role for serving the society and after considerable efforts and continued studies for several years and requesting medical consultations from local and international organizations, the Saudi Ozone Company has reached the decision to deliver medical ozone therapy and establish medical complexes here in the Kingdom approved for ozone treatment. We hope that this will be successful and beneficial to the population of this country, especially in the field of chronic diseases.” The Executive Director of the Saudi Ozone Company, Sami Sulaiman Al-Akooz, said, “We have signed agreements with companies in the Gulf region and other parts of the world that are certified in providing medical ozone treatments to help us establish similar centers in the Kingdom. A team of Saudi researchers have paid several visits to the ministries of health in the United Arab Emirates, Sultanate of Oman, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Germany to learn and gain from their experience in this field of alternative medicine.” Today, ozone is used in medicine to fight bacterial, viral, and fungal infections and is even used in the treatment of cancer and AIDs. It is administered in the body via blood or through rectal insufflations or vaginal insufflations or as a topical treatment on the skin. Once inside the body, ozone attaches itself to diseased cells and cells infected with a virus or bacteria or parasite and dissolves the weakened cells and flushes them from the system; healthy cells completely remain unaffected. Some conditions that can be treated by medical ozone therapy include: cardiovascular disorders, hepatitis, eczema, rheumatic and arthritic disorders, diabetic gangrene, cancer, and a host of other infectious diseases. The purpose of such treatments is not to replace the patient's regular medical treatment but to complement it, increase its efficacy, and improve the quality of life of the patient during the duration of their medical treatment. __
