By Abdullah Al-Ghamdi and Mohammed Saud

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — The proposed national medical insurance for Saudi citizens will not exempt the men and women teachers, Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah has said.

“Once it is applied, the insurance will cover all citizens,” he added.

Rabiah made the remarks in Riyadh on Sunday while launching with Education Minister Ahmed Al-Issa the electronic link between the two ministries for the benefit of students.

He said there will be periodical medical examinations for students, which will cover vision, hearing, dentistry, weight, psychological health, learning difficulties and scoliosis (tilting of spinal cord).

Rabiah said the first element of cooperation between the two ministries will be the changes in the school curriculum, which will be made to include preventive and curative health subjects.

“Education is a pivotal partner in the preventive programs, which necessitate continuous awareness to further enhance the health of students,” he said.

Rabiah said the two ministries were working as a team to ensure continuous health care for both male and female students.

Al-Issa, on his part, said coordination is at its highest level between the two ministries to provide the students with the best health services.

He was talking before the annual gathering of the directors of health departments in schools, which was attended by a number of ministers and senior officials.

“Since the school health services were shifted to the Health Ministry, the health services being extended to the male and female students had witnessed a big leap,” he said.

Al-Issa said his ministry faced a number of problems and challenges when it was in charge of school healthcare, which was being expended to about 6 million boys and girls in public schools.

The electronic linkage between the two ministries will also include closely observing the food being provided to the students.