BAHA — We often see in movies people in charge hysterically run around beautifying houses and offices, cleaning the yards and asphalting streets when they hear about the imminent arrival of a dignitary. This is exactly what is happening in Baha now. The officials of the Health Affairs Department started beautifying hospitals to receive Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah who has schedule a visit to the region in early December to inspect hospitals and other healthcare facilities. As soon as the news that the minister was coming to the region leaked, the officials started planting decorative trees and cleaning the streets leading to the hospitals, which he will visit. The department is racing against time and has declared a state of emergency and started working overtime to beautify the hospitals and health centers. During his visit to the region, the minister will open Prince Mashari Hospital in Baljurashi. These hectic preparations are under way at a time when a number of crumbling health facilities in Baha are on the verge of collapse. Okaz/Saudi Gazette paid a visit to King Fahd Hospital in Baha where maintenance and repair works were going on in anticipation of the minister's visit. The decorative trees were distributed to various sections of the hospital. The hospital's lounges were refurbished and filled with books for patients and visitors to read. Signboards were erected, the pavements painted and a roundabout built in front of the emergency ward. What was going on in Baha these days was not different from the culture of receiving ministers and VIPs we often watch in movies. A number of patients expressed their anger at maintenance companies entering into the clinics with their equipment and tools. They said they were making unbearable noise. Baha Health Affairs spokesman Majed Al-Shatti has, however, said the periodic maintenance works were already scheduled and not designed exclusively for the minister's visit. He said the repairs work did not in any way affect the patients or visitors. "All the region's hospitals have repair and cleaning contracts with specialized companies. We have a special team in the department to follow up the cleanliness of hospitals," he added.
