Okaz/Saudi Gazette TAIF – Residents of Hawiya district in the summer resort city of Taif have complained that the primary healthcare centers in the area lacked children's vaccinations to protect them from various diseases. "For the last two months these healthcare centers are not providing vaccination services to children. We are afraid our children will be caught with diseases for not providing vaccination," said Salim Al-Otaibi. The residents blamed the Health Ministry for the lack of vaccines at healthcare centers in Hawiya. "We hope the health affairs department in Taif would provide healthcare centers with necessary medical staff and medicines," Al-Otaibi told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. "I have been visiting the healthcare center in Hawiya for two months to vaccinate my child but it was a fruitless exercise. The nurse in charge told me that the vaccines would come only after Eid Al-Fitr but I don't believe her and we don't know when our children get vaccinated," he said. Ahmed Al-Joaid denounced the Health Ministry for its negligence toward protecting health of citizens. "Our children need proper care to grow up healthy," he added. The Health Department in Taif has not done anything to supply vaccines to the Hawiya center for the last two months. "It's sheer negligence and unacceptable," Al-Joaid said. Saleh Nasser said the health center in Hawiya lacked necessary medical facilities required by patients. "We have stopped going to the center considering it as a useless exercise," he added. Abdul Hadi Al-Rubaiee, spokesman of the health department in Taif said the healthcare centers in the city have been providing their services to citizens and residents without any shortage. "Vaccines are available at primary healthcare centers and the department is ready to supply them whenever required," Al-Rubaiee told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.
