By Hassan Al-Najrani

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MADRID — More than 900 Saudi doctors have swung into action to support the people of Germany, France and Switzerland in their fight against coronavirus.

As many as 650 Saudi male and female doctors and medical students, who are pursuing their higher studies in Germany under the King’s Foreign Scholarship Program, are supporting their German colleagues in various hospitals in the country in fighting the epidemic, according to Dr. Muneer Al-Otaibi, cultural attaché at the Saudi Embassy in Berlin. He said that the Saudi doctors and medical students are carrying out their mission under the umbrella of the Office of Cultural Attaché in Berlin.

Al-Otaibi emphasized that the Kingdom is actively taking part in the global efforts to combat the coronavirus epidemic, and the participation of Saudi doctors and medical students in the German efforts in this regard is an extension of the Kingdom’s efforts to lend a helping hand to the world. “The people of Saudi Arabia are always making sacrifices and are keen to present the wonderful image of Saudi citizens in this respect, especially in extraordinary circumstances such as the one the world is currently passing through due to the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

For his part, Director of Academic Affairs at the Office of Saudi Cultural Attaché in Germany Dr. Waseem Arfali said that the office is proud of its scholarship students for their humanitarian contribution together with their German colleagues in providing health care to German patients and others in fighting coronavirus. “It is very much appreciable their presence on front lines in major hospitals and specialty clinics, in a way realizing dignity of their profession, as well as their religious obligation, work ethics and overall their humanitarian principles,” he said.

On the other hand, Dr. Abdullah Al-Thunayyan, cultural attaché at the Saudi Embassy in France and Switzerland, said that more than 280 Saudi doctors, under the Foreign Scholarship Program, are working along with their French colleagues to combat the spread of coronavirus. He said that this humanitarian gesture is not unusual for the sons and daughters of the Kingdom. “This initiative will be decisive in developing their careers and enhancing their readiness for effective work with dedication to face crises of all kinds apart from acquiring training in more than 36 specializations in the fields of medicine, including emergency medicine and epidemiology,” Al-Thunayyan said. “This unique initiative on the part of Saudi doctors reflects the values, ethics and principles of the Saudi Islamic society,” he said while emphasizing that this blessed country is the Kingdom of Humanity.

Al-Thunayyan drew attention to the fact that the 280 Saudi doctors are highly qualified, and have capabilities that enable them to overcome obstacles and crises in view of their efficiency and ability to work hard continuously to save human lives. He also noted that there are about 20 Saudi doctors working in the Swiss Confederation, in addition to doctors who also work in the United States of America and Britain, who all are working hard and sincerely to combat the coronavirus pandemic that has swept the world.