Hospital to begin first phase of operations next week


KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah opens the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital in the presence of Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem and senior officials of the state yesterday. - KUNA

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah attended and patronized yesterday the opening of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital. HH the Amir was received at the venue by Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Hmoud Al-Sabah and senior officials at the health ministry. The ceremony was also attended by HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanem, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and senior officials of the state.

Delivering his speech at the event, Sheikh Basel said that the opening of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital is a historic event in Kuwait's healthcare history. The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital went through various challenges and phases; however, with the strong directives by HH the Amir and the tremendous efforts by all those who were involved in the construction, the dream was brought to reality, said the minister.

The main building of the hospital consists of five towering 10-storey structures built on an area of 220,000 sq m, said the minister, adding that the total area on which the whole project was constructed stretches around 725,000 sq m. Sheikh Basel said that the hospital's bed capacity is around 1,168 with 36 operation rooms, a medical center, a helipad and a parking lot accommodating some 5,000 vehicles. The opening of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital adds another milestone in the Kuwaiti leadership's development vision, affirmed Sheikh Basel, who thanked HH the Amir for all his efforts.

Health Ministry Undersecretary Dr Mustafa Redha said that the hospital will add to the bed capacity of medical facilities in Kuwait, to reach over 160,000. The opening of the hospital is a step in the right direction, affirmed Redha, who noted the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital is an integral part of the ministry's plans to take medical care to the next level in Kuwait. After the conclusion of speeches, a documentary depicting the different stages of construction was screened for the attendees. HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad received mementos during the ceremony.

The first phase of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital will be operational by the beginning of next week, a top hospital official said yesterday. On the sideline of the hospital's opening, Executive Director of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital and head of Mubarak Al-Kabeer's health district Dr Saud Al-Daraa told KUNA that outpatient clinics and basic medical services such as radiology, laboratories, and nuclear medicine will be available to the masses next week. He revealed that the hospital will be a valuable addition to the health service sector in Kuwait. - KUNA