‘Kingdom to be center of medical excellence’

Saudi Arabia is well on its way to becoming an impressive center known for excellence in health care, based on the vision of the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, according to an American healthcare architect.
“Our firm, 'RTL Associates', has designed three medical cities in the Kingdom, all of which harbor the aim of delivering comprehensive health care to Saudi citizens,” said Ousama Mortada on the sidelines of the Saudi-American Healthcare Forum at Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh.
Mortada, who is also a board member of the Care-RTL Joint Venture Partnership in the Kingdom, remarked that in designing the medical facilities, their team had taken into consideration the particular needs of the citizens of the Kingdom.
“These medical facilities are also intended to become hubs of medical research and education of a world-class standard,” Mortada said.
Mortada said that these new medical facilities include the new campus for the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH & RC) in Jeddah, the King Abdullah Medical City outside Makkah, and the Military Medical Complex in Riyadh for the Ministry of Defense.
The first phase of the KFSH & RC will add 860 beds to the existing facilities, and will add another 400 beds if needed in the near future. Meanwhile, King Abdullah Medical City maintains 1,000 beds, with an expected expansion capability of 500 beds. The Military Medical Complex, on the other hand, has a capacity of 4,000 beds.
The KFSH & RC’s new campus was designed two years ago and is currently under construction. It is expected to be completed in 2018. The King Abdullah Medical City, on the other hand, is now finished being designed and the Ministry of Health (MoH) is expected to begin construction soon.
The Military Medical Complex has a teaching hospital, medical school, nursing school and housing for the staff. It is located on the grounds of the King Khaled International Airport (KKIA).
“These medical facilities provide services in oncology, pediatrics, orthopedic, ophthalmology and maternity areas,” said Mortada, who received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Kent State University in Ohio in 1982.