Where did the hospital disappear?

Where did the hospital disappear?

June 17, 2017
Okaz
Okaz

By Aziza Al-Manea

 

I do not think you can find a citizen who does not complain about overcrowded public hospitals and the impossibility in getting an appointment with a consultant or receiving specialized treatment of any kind. Public or government hospitals are known for treating lots of patients, far beyond their capacity, and so they resort to giving patients appointments a long time away.

However, not all cities and provinces in the Kingdom are affected by a scarcity of government hospitals. Those living in capitals and large cities are happier than those in small provinces where they have large public and private hospitals. However, Makkah, which is the Islamic capital of the Muslim world, has not earned the same attention as other cities and large provinces.

The hope of alleviating the crisis of hospitals in Makkah was dependent on the Umm Al-Qura University Hospital Project, which was signed by the university in 1426 H but has not seen the light of day. Although four directors who have been in charge of the university since then have been unable to complete the project or at least disclose the reasons for its failure.

The students of the university’s medical school and residents of Makkah voiced their disappointment at the death of the project via Twitter. They were hoping to find someone to answer them or hear their complaints. But there was no one to answer their questions.

The university believes that silence is wisdom and that silence is gold. There is no justification, explanation or disclosure of what happened to the hospital project. Where did the funds that were allocated for its completion go?

This is similar to the King Abdullah University Hospital project at Princess Nourah University. Despite being a 10-year-old university it was able to establish and operate a state-of-the-art university hospital, including a e-health record filing system that made it rank sixth out of seven according to the American Medical Informatics Association.

All we need is some sincerity and honesty to straighten our affairs.


June 17, 2017
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