Introduction
The setting up of King Fahad Specialist Hospital, commonly abbreviated as KFSHD, in Dammam is regarded as one of the most vital medical developments that the Eastern area has undertaken in the past several years. It is a recognized educational health facility situated in the capital city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It serves as the general referral facility for Cardiovascular Diseases, Oncology, Genetic Diseases, Organ Transplantation and Neurosciences. It also offers complete primary, tertiary as well as secondary medical services. The hospital’s doctoral tutelage programs sustain both placement and partnership training. This Centre of research focuses on the elementary and translational explorations principally in molecular diagnostics, transplant immunology, cancer, proteomics, cardiovascular diseases and genetics (Johnson, 2006).
Even though it is a private hospital, it still managed to accomplish so much concerning the quality and amount of professional medical services offered to the families that reside in the Eastern area. It has provided highly professional medics who carry out their responsibilities efficiently. This is regarded as an enormous contribution from this hospital. It has enabled us to manage health issues in the best way possible with the help of skilled personnel as well as novel techniques. The services provided by this hospital to its patients include Genetic Sciences, Oncology, Cardiac Services programs, Neurosciences as well as Organ Transplant.
Other special services offered by the hospital include Surgical Oncology, Hematology, Radiation Therapy, Orthopedic Surgery, Rehabilitation, Urology, Neurological Surgery and Nuclear Medicine. The hospital intends to put in place standards that meet international requirements. These standards ought to connect with the value of the services delivered, and proficiently contribute to the enhancement of the hospital’s reputation. The hospital was recognized for its outstanding services by being awarded the “Joint Commission International Accreditation” certificate. This made it to be the leading specialized hospital to be awarded a universal accreditation. Furthermore, its Hematology Department, as well as Laboratory, was accredited for its exemplary job.
Accomplishments
The hospital experienced increased growth in all its departments in the year 2011. The services provided by the hospital substantiated this growth. For instance, ambulatory cases increased by 44%, referrals by 12% and inpatient admissions by 11% (Azoulay, 2011). In addition, the hospital experienced an increase in the number of patients visiting the facility. This was since this hospital boasts of the largest Oncology center in the Eastern region. It is also among the largest and most influential centers in the country. Here, conditions such as cancer cases and transplantation matters are handled. Concerning this, the program for transplantation of Stem Cells was introduced in this facility and was successful. The hospital’s Oncology Radiation center was awarded the “International Atomic Energy Agency” accreditation.
The hospital’s “multi-organ transplant” program has continued to develop. The number of transplanted kidneys substantiated this development. In 2001, kidney transplants surpassed the one hundred mark while the overall number of organs that had been transplanted over the three years of the program’s initiation topped two hundred. It highlights its intention of attaining higher status in medical services in the region.
On the other hand, their neuroscience center offered highly specialized therapy to over three thousand patients. The therapy entailed: universal programs on epilepsy, hybrid operations as well as monitoring of operative neurophysiology. Their excellence has continued over the years. In the following year, the hospital was accredited with the “College of American Pathologists” certificate (Azoulay, 2011). The hospital boasts of having the only stem laboratory facility in the region. Furthermore, its blood bank is well equipped. These two departments are yet to be accredited in the year. At the end of the year, they had put in place the “Disaster Drill” that helped in safeguarding both staff members and patients from disasters.
Future Plans
The hospital also intends to add up to its existing bed capacity. Approximately one hundred beds are intended to be added to the hospital. Other prospects of the hospital include the expansion of the operating rooms as well as clinics, the establishment of a department that will cater to the hospital’s image or reputation and the establishment of novel cyclotron equipment. The laboratory is also to be expanded to cater to the growing patient demands.
The most recent accomplishments of this hospital include the performance of Stem Cell Transplantation surgeries that exceed twenty. This was attained in 2011. It pursues a Pancreases Transplantation program, the only kind in this region. It has formed a good rapport with other developed hospitals in Canada, Saudi Arabia and America. It has also established links with leading educational institutions that would help it in realizing its goal which is, “to become the principal center of brilliance in specialized care”.
Responsibilities of the Hospital
The hospital has continued to employ qualified and competent professionals. This forms part of their responsibilities to society as it guarantees the provision of high-quality services to their patients. These professional employees also form the basis of the hospital’s strengths. Another responsibility of the hospital is to ensure that communication in the facility is good. With this, the hospital has installed a new website. They have also included a service system to cater to patients’ needs.
This system enables a patient to request and obtain clinical reports in both English and Arabic languages, check their appointment schedule; update their personal information as well as offer compliments and complaints to the hospital’s administration. All this can be done while the patient is at home. They have also come up with a Twitter account which the hospital uses to update their customers concerning the hospital’s new developments (Vincent, 2010). This allows the community to engage in hospital activities such as blood donation. Consequently, the community is enlightened on healthcare amenities and their intricacies.
Another responsibility of this hospital is to offer patient-focused care. It has achieved this through the establishment of novel services, improvement of their infrastructure, increasing their budgetary allocations, establishing training as well as education centers and investing in research. This is in line with their mission, which is, “To provide compassionate healthcare integrated with research and education”. Based on their patients’ feedback concerning these new developments, the hospital will be in a position to evaluate the course of its vision, which is, “To be the leading center of excellence in specialized healthcare” (Vincent, 2010).
The medics are given the mandate of ensuring that the best healthcare services are offered to patients. In addition, they are required to uphold professionalism in the course of attending to patients. This will ensure trust between the medic and patient as well as boost the reputation of the hospital.
Patients’ Rights
The hospital has implemented guidelines about the welfare of patients. These guidelines are coined under the “Patients’ Rights” clause. Patients in King Fahad Specialist Hospital are entitled to the following:
- To be given considerate and reverential care in a harmless, clean and sociable atmosphere;
- to be attended to by professional, proficient and helpful staff;
- to be attended to by a professional consultant within twenty-four hours of admittance and consistently afterwards;
- to be informed about the practitioner’s designation and an affiliate of a therapeutic team responsible for patient’s care;
- to be updated on therapeutic procedures, diagnosis, probable side effects as well as the necessary subsequent therapies;
- to obtain all vital facts which correspond with the “Informed Consent” for any projected process of psychotherapy;
- to have the liberty to remark and deliberate on the therapy and care being offered;
- to be enlightened on the health impact that may result from the refusal of treatment;
- to be guaranteed secrecy and discretion relating to social and therapeutic information;
- to be provided with adequate translation services, when necessary;
- to be free in declining to take part in any suggested examinations or to pull out from an examination program at any juncture with the assurance that such rejection or departure will not affect the patient’s medical care;
- to be discharged as guided by the laid down physician’s recommendations with the correct prescription, subsequent check-ups and essential coaching for home care;
- to be given a duplicate of the discharge instructions to enable follow up with the medical doctor or any other local clinic if required;
- to be given the official papers that indicate the hospitalization, on appeal;
- to have the discomfort evaluated and sufficiently managed;
- to be informed about results and any new developments of therapy in the course of treatment;
- to have the liberty to go for another checkup either within or away from King Fahad Specialist Hospital.
Referral Services
As much as it is a private hospital, it still offers tertiary medical services mostly to the Eastern area population. As a requirement, clinical referrals ought to be instigated by subordinate hospitals. Consequently, individual referrals for tertiary health care may be handled and acknowledged in limited scenarios. Based on this, such patients in this hospital are directed to the Eligibility Office after obtaining all the necessary documents which include: an up-to-date health report entailing radiology and laboratory results. Some of the requirements are: a patient’s copy of the Identity card, completed and signed commitment form, addresses of patients and other institutions (Rai, 2010). Hospitals that require referring their patients with tertiary clinical conditions to this hospital ought to complete the referral form as well as submit it with all the necessary documents.
Conclusion
As much as King Fahad Specialist Hospital is a private hospital, it has offered tremendous assistance to the community. Its outstanding departments have made it to be revered and awarded for its accomplishments. In addition, the hospital has several entertaining facilities that are free to its staff. These include a bowling alley, swimming pools, basketball courts and tennis courts. Consequently, several leisure courses, workout programs, expeditions and a selection of other beneficial programs are offered to the staff. It has ensured that quality health care is accessed by all and that the patients are given priority. For sure, it has accomplished its vision and mission and this is what makes it different from the rest of the hospitals. Being a non-profitable organization, it has managed its resources well and has made health services be easily accessed. This is the reason why it has so many patients.
References
Azoulay, E. (2011). Pulmonary Involvement in Patients with Hematological Malignancies. New York, NY: Springer.
Johnson, C. (2006). Recent Advances in Surgery: v. 29. New York, NY: RSM Books.
Rai, M. (2010). Progress in Mycology. New York, NY: Springer.
Vincent, J. (2010). Intensive Care Medicine: Annual Update 2010. New York, NY: Springer.
Vincent, J. (2010). Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2010 (Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (closed)). New York, NY: Springer.