Prince Metaab bin Abdelaziz Hospital

Prince Metaab bin Abdelaziz Hospital in Sakaka is the central and referral hospital for hospitals across Al-Jouf. It has a capacity of 300 beds.

Surgical Care

The hospital performed 3,135 surgical operations in 1438 AH. Its medical team successfully treated a man in his 40s with a rare case of intussusception, a condition in which part of the intestine folds into the adjacent section.

• The patient had experienced severe abdominal pain, repeated diarrhea and vomiting for a week.
• Medical examinations and radiological investigations identified intussusception at the junction of the small and large intestines. Cases after puberty account for no more than 5% of intussusception cases.
• The team removed the final portion of the small intestine and connected it to the ascending colon. The patient was subsequently discharged in good health without complications.

National Primary Healthcare Development

The Ministry of Health launched the Reforming and Restructuring Primary Healthcare initiative as one of 40 initiatives supporting the National Transformation Program 2020. These initiatives aim to improve Saudi healthcare services and facilities to meet community needs and the leadership’s expectations.

• Provide advanced primary healthcare, improve satisfaction and strengthen patients’ trust in health services and primary healthcare centers.
• Improve access for all beneficiaries as patient numbers grow, reduce pressure on healthcare professionals and strengthen preventive measures and facility-based services.
• Reduce congestion in emergency departments and outpatient clinics.

Model Centers and Planned Services

The Ministry introduced new design templates for model primary healthcare centers in As-Sulaimaniyah, Al-Wadi, Al-Khaleej, Al-Murabba and Al-Mansourah. Plans include rehabilitating all Ministry centers using similar templates and establishing new centers offering preventive, health and community services in compliance with CBAHI standards.

• Planned services include consultation clinics, primary mental health clinics, immunization, maternity care, family medicine and early detection of chronic diseases.
• Community councils will involve residents in planning health services.
• Each center will include a family medicine fellowship training center and a unified electronic records database.
• New centers feature modern architecture and the required safety equipment. Preparatory work for the mega-center phase follows the Ministry’s approved healthcare facility identity.