By Naheel Al-Abdullah
Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH —The Health Affairs in Jeddah has started training medical staff working in government hospitals, clinics and dispensaries in Jeddah on sign language aiming at offering services to the physically challenged, said Dr. Sami Badawood, Director of Health Affairs in Jeddah.
He said the Ministry of Health has started setting up special section for patients’ relations in every hospital including a small section for the patients with special needs besides being given top priority in the appointments.
He said the Patients’ Rights and Relations departments are tasked with caring for patients with special needs besides facilitating the procedures to them in hospitals and removing any obstacle they face.
Badawood was speaking after opening the activities of the International Nursing Day which is observed this year under the motto of “We Care for Your Health”
Ghada Al-Sahaer, in charge of the Media Section at King Abdullah Center for Physically Challenged said most of this year’s activities are devoted to physically challenged children pointing that special clinics have been equipped to scan them.
She said a group of specialists will deliver lectures on visual impairment and abnormal growth in children in addition to offering special lectures on various physical disabilities.
She said studies shows that a few of the physically challenged children suffer from tooth caries because the quantity of the saliva they secrete pointing out some dentists demonstrated to them how to take care of their teeth.
She said most of the hospitals need trained staff in dealing with the children with special needs and also stressed the importance of expanding the medical facilities for this group to look after them.