Press Release by the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh on U.S. – Saudi Arabia Patient’s Day
The United States Department of Commerce U.S. Commercial Service, in collaboration with U.S. healthcare partners, organized a U.S. – Saudi Patient Day on March 22, 2017 at the Riyadh Marriott Hotel. The event showcased the positive impacts that American medical innovations and technologies are making on patients in Saudi Arabia: curing diseases and improving their quality of life.
In his remarks, Deputy Counselor for Commercial Affairs Mark O’Grady highlighted that “The United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia believe that a healthy society forms the foundation for a productive and dynamic economy. With that in mind, the United States government applauds the Kingdom’s continued efforts to enhance the healthcare of its people through investments in the healthcare system.”
Four medical practitioners made presentations on the efficacies and effectiveness of U.S. technologies and knowhow in saving and improving the lives of their patients. Oncologist and Endocrine Surgeon Dr. Mohammed Al-Zahrani narrated his experience in using Johnson & Johnson made surgical precision equipment to achieve better outcomes for his patients. DaVita’s Chief Saudi Arabia Medical Officer Dr. Abdulkareem Al-Suwaida shared his experience in establishing 16 kidney dialysis centers fitted with the latest U.S. technology throughout the Kingdom. He stated that over 5,000 patients have benefited from this U.S. technology-aided dialysis treatment so far. Corporate Head for Infection Control at King Saud University Medical Center Ms. Haifaa Al-Talhi told the story of how her hospital used 3M technology and procedures to achieve zero infection rates among surgical patients. Neurologist Dr. Jawad Bajwa shared his experience of using Medtronic technology to conduct deep brain stimulation to treat Parkinson and other neurological disorders. He recounted the inspiring story of how a Saudi patient’s life that was incapacitated with a severe and debilitating neurological disorder was restored into a productive one through deep brain stimulation treatment made possible by advanced U.S. technology. 2017 marks the first year U.S. – Saudi Patient Day has been celebrated in the Kingdom. Similar events are being held throughout the Middle East and North Africa during the month of March.
