He read in local newspapers that the Ministry of Health was committed to providing beds to all patients and incurring the cost of emergency room treatment at private hospitals. However, when the moment of truth came, he found out that promises are one thing and reality is another. These broken promises rendered him helpless in front of the man most dear to his heart: His own father. I have been personally involved in this case after the father suffered a debilitating stroke. His son took him to the nearest emergency ward that happened to be in a private hospital. When the father went into a coma, he was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) but before treating him, the hospital asked the son to make a down payment toward the cost of treatment. When he contemplated transferring his father to another hospital that was more capable of dealing with such a case, all doors were closed in his face. At this point, I called an official at the Ministry of Health on his behalf and asked him to translate its promises of providing beds for the sick and paying for the cost of treatment at private hospitals. The official I spoke to asked us to choose between two ordinary private hospitals, one of which is famous for the treatment of fractures and the other for colds. King Fahd Medical City, which houses the prestigious Prince Salman Heart Center, was not an option given to us. Amid all the delays and false promises, the father tragically passed away. Oh ministry, your broken promises are too big for you to handle and your imagination is larger than your reality. Accordingly, I advise all sick people in need to use "wasta" (nepotism) before they search for a doctor. They should also realize that the only thing guaranteed to them by the Ministry of Health is death.
