Deputy Minister Assistance for Curative Medicine, Dr. Zyad Meemish chaired today's Meeting for New Born Early Diagnoses Program which took place in the Ministry Divan and aims to prevent Disabilities cases across the Kingdom. Non Contagious Diseases General Manager, Dr. Mohammad Al Saedi, and a number of the Program officials and coordinators attended the meeting which discussed the implemented first phase of New Born National Program based on the King instructions to study creating a genetic diseases detecting program in order to reduce disabilities cases and ease pressure on disable children rehabilitation centers. The program will start gradually in the Ministry's hospitals. The first phase of the program, which examines 16 types of common curative genetic diseases in the Kingdom, started in August 2005 and covered 24 Child and Birth Hospitals across the kingdom.
This program aims to build a healthy society free of Genetic Diseases and disabilities (Metabolism and Endocrinology Diseases). Dr. Saedi stated that the main goal is to maintain Society health through enhancing Genetic Diseases Early Diagnoses Program and reduce morbidity, mortality and disability rates. In addition of determining the nature and extent of Metabolism and Endocrinology Diseases for the Kingdom's new born, forming a national register list and data base to register all types of disabilities resulted of such diseases, developing general training program for doctors to detect and treat new born genetic diseases, reduce such diseases burdens on the Health System and spread awareness among people.
Dr. Saedi pointed out that training and Program awareness courses were presented to doctors and covered genetic guidance and its major role in preventing Genetic Diseases. In addition of a number of training courses presented to participating doctors and nurses in the program in order to practice taking samples in time and methods of reporting results. Moreover, the program's guidebook was developed and distributed to the program participants in addition of illustrating video tapes which explains the ideal ways to take samples and how to deal with newborn.