RIYADH: The King Saud Medical Complex is expected to soon undergo a major transformation into an integrated medical city with world class services. Dr. Adnan Abdul Kareem, Director of Riyadh's Health Affairs, said preparations are being carried out for administrative and organizational restructuring and for some internal decisions to be taken prior to the start of the project. He said this development will reduce pressure on hospitals in Riyadh. Healthcare services in the country “will witness a large leap (of improvement) within the coming period”, he added. The Royal Decree to turn the complex, which was established during the reign of King Saud, into a medical city is considered a turning point in healthcare services in the Kingdom, he said. It will take services at the 1,400-bed complex to “advanced levels” because it will have “qualified and distinguished” staff. He said the decision was taken after a thorough study was conducted on the complex's capacity to have additions to its buildings and departments, construction of more medical towers, and provision of more beds. Dr. Abdullah Al-Durais, Chairman of the Shoura Council's Health and Environment Committee, said the decision “will improve medical services in the country because the complex is considered one of most prominent and oldest hospitals and has several medical achievements”. Dr. Khaled Marghalani, the Ministry of Health's spokesman, said the ministry had drawn up a strategic plan a while ago to turn the complex into a medical city. He said the medical city will receive “large financial support” to guarantee it delivers better quality services in future. Several new programs will be added, including a kidney dialysis program. The complex was opened in 1956 under the name King Saud the First Hospital, then the name was changed to Riyadh Central Hospital, then Riyadh Medical Complex, and then to King Saud Medical Complex. It will soon be renamed King Saud Medical City. It currently contains departments of surgery, internal medicine, gynecology, obstetrics and pediatrics, in addition to general, children and obstetrics hospitals.
