Within the framework of the health awareness campaigns launched by the Ministry of Health (MOH) throughout the year to educate the society’s members, the Ministry will launch its summer awareness campaign of this year on Sunday, 8th June, 2014 (corresponding to 10th Sha‘ban, 1435H).
This campaign is intended to raise people's health awareness and change their attitudes towards the unhealthy habits and practices usually associated to the summer vacation. It also aims to make people more inclined to adopt healthy behaviors during this season, and familiarize them with the health problems related to vacations, as well as their effects on the individual and societal health. In doing so, the campaign underscores the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles, based on healthy food and exercise, as well as avoiding the infectious diseases and drugs; to keep healthy and lively. The campaign activities comprises interviews with physicians and specialists at TV and Radio programs, that is to be added to sending health awareness messages to the MOH mobile subscribers and the visitors of the MOH account on Tweeter.
As part of the activities of the Summer Awareness Campaign carried out by the Ministry, its Media and Health Awareness Information Center will host a group of distinguished physicians and specialists; to receive people’s calls via the Center’s toll free number: 8002494444 and the social networking websites: @SAUDIMOH; in order to answer all their calls and enquiries, and provide them with the medical tips and guidelines on summer diseases and the ways of dealing with and protection against them.
As for the first week of the campaign, the Center will host the Nutrition Specialist, Bushra Al-Rabeeah, on Sunday, 8th June, 2014 (corresponding to 10th Sha‘ban, 1435H), from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; in order to answer all callers’ queries on nutrition in summer. While from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., the Center will host Dr. Faisal Al-Otaibi, a Consultant in Pediatrics; to talk about diseases among children during this hot season.
Furthermore, the Center will host Ph. Mervat Ba-Raja’, on Monday, 9th June, 2014 (corresponding to 11th Sha‘ban, 1435H), from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; to talk about medicines during traveling, and from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., the Center will host Dr. Nasser Al-Dosari, a Consultant in Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Endoscopy; to shed light on the most prominent problems of the gastrointestinal tract, that the traveler may suffer on his journey.
Besides, the Center will host Ph. Muneera Al-Twaiher on Tuesday, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; to talk about drug interactions with breastfeeding, and will host Dr. Mahib Ahmad Abdullah, a Senior Consultant in Cardiology and Internal Medicine; to provide heart patients with tips and instructions to follow while traveling.
On Wednesday, the Center will host Ph. Iman Ed-Debasi, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; to provide pharmaceutical consultations on AIDS drugs, and will host Dr. Badi AL-Enazy, the Pediatrics Endocrinology and Diabetes Consultant, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.; to answer all callers’ queries in his specialty.
Within the same vein, the Center will host Ph. Bandri Al-Bishi, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; in order to answer all callers’ queries on the importance of carrying medicines during travelling, while the hosting of Dr. Khalid Al-Saran, a Consultant in Nephrology among Children, will be from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.; to raise awareness on kidney diseases and the ways to deal with them while traveling.
It is noteworthy that the MOH, represented by the Media, Relations and Health Awareness General Department, launches an awareness campaign annually to deliver its health educational messages, targeting certain groups, for the protection against diseases and health symptoms that may disturb the tranquility of this society. Also, the MOH is keen to publish, via the available mass media, the health messages and tips that will help members of the targeted groups to positively change their health behaviors, which is to be added to the partnership with different sectors in the community.