Saudi Arabia is spending $480m to expand its healthcare services in KFMC and other areas.
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Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health announced on Sunday that it had agreed to build $479.9m worth of specialised medical centres at the King Fahd Medical City (KFMC) in Riyadh.
During the signing of the bill, Dr Abdullah Al Rabeeah the Health Minister for the Kingdom, said that the new projects were part of the expansion of the medical city and specialised hospitals across the country.
As part of this plan, he also signed a separate contract worth $73.8m, for the construction of a National Cancer and Proton Beam Therapy Centre, according to an Arab News report.
The contracts were signed with Latfiya Trading and Contracting Company, which has a partnership with Leighton Middle East.
“A key mission of King Fahd Medical City is to provide the citizens of Saudi Arabia and Middle East with access to the best possible diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative health care services in the region. These additions to the medical campus will demonstrate our commitment to this mission,” said Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al Amro, KFMC CEO and executive director, who was present during the signing of the contracts.
He added that the expansion projects would help provide the region with access to the latest technology that supported the most advanced diagnostic and surgical procedures to date in oncology, neuroscience and cardiovascular care.
Al Amro said that the projects fell within the strategic plans of KMFC up to the year 2026. He added that it planned to be the national referral base by 2013 in terms of the quality health services provided to patients and a regional base by 2016.
The projects include the construction of a cancer centre that has 238 beds in an 11 storey building composed of 80 units and training facilities. The neurosciences building will also be 11 storeys high with 10 specialised operating theatres and a 40 bed neuro-intensive units. A 316 bed neuro-research laboratory will also be housed in the building.
The Prince Salman Cardiac Centre will be expanded to increase the number of rooms to 213, allowing for examination of patients, medical education and training and a rehabilitation centre.
Furthermore, a planned stem cell research centre is also being built, which will occupy an area of 7,000m2, Al Amro added.