* Soraya Obaid: The National Comprehensive Health Plan… has borne fruit
* Noura Al Mosaed: Human life and health… a priority
* Jawaher Al-Enezi: The wisdom of the vision and the provisions of the procedures defeated “Corona” .. and the pilgrimage succeeded
As usual, it is influential and effective in every place and time.. With confident, consistent steps and tight professional work, within exceptional circumstances in which Saudi women raced against time and excelled while fighting the unknown enemy “Corona”.. She confronted this virus as one with her colleagues, within a comprehensive health system to fight Epidemiology and crowd medicine, which characterized the Kingdom, made it the focus of the world's attention.
He bet on success and reaped it.. The homeland bet on them, so they raised its flag high and fluttering.. They are health champions.. Knights of the homeland.. These are the results of empowering women during the reign of King Salman bin Abdulaziz.. And that is the Saudi woman, and these are the knights of health.. Knights of the homeland.. They are proud.
From the first moment that King Salman bin Abdulaziz ordered to treat everyone on the soil of this country, including citizens, residents, and violators of the residency system, without discrimination or exception.. and the health champions work like a hive, side by side with their colleagues in the health sector, with the participation of all sectors, to form the first line of defense In the battle against this virus, they stand as an impenetrable barrier without spreading it.. down to working women, each according to their location.
Shura.. Continuing work
Regarding the nature of the workflow at the time of the pandemic and the achievements of working women during it, Shura Council member Dr. Noura Al-Musaed spoke about dealing with the “Corona” pandemic in general, and her experience working remotely in the Shura Council in particular, saying:
It is no secret that the precautionary measures taken by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Crown Prince had a major role in limiting the spread of the Corona virus, and although these measures had negative effects on the economy, human life and its preservation is the priority from which this was launched. procedures.
The Shura Council, like all government sectors, continued its sessions as scheduled with high technology that ensured the fulfillment of the basic requirements upon which these sessions are based, represented in listening to the interventions of the members and their views on the topics of the agenda and voting on the recommendations.
And the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the leading countries that employed technology comprehensively and with high quality in the conduct of services and businesses, over many years before the Corona pandemic, and what happened with Corona is a natural continuation of this approach. The council was able, through cooperation with the Center for Artificial Intelligence, to manage the sessions with a high professionalism, preceded by a lot of preparation and coordination with the members, the presidency and the secretariat of the council. The same was the case with regard to the committees that were able to continue their work and study the reports assigned to them according to the competence of each committee. The Saudi woman within the Council was able to fully play the role associated with her membership in the Council, whether in its regular sessions or within the committees, as is the case with the male members of the Council, as the responsibilities of Shura members do not differ according to gender.
Epidemiology and crowd medicine
For her part, a member of the Shura Council, Dr. Jawaher Al-Enezi, emphasized the wisdom of the vision and the tightening of health and preventive measures in the Kingdom, saying: We have a conscious and wise leadership that is able to read the future and face challenges ably. Hospitals, Umrah and visitation were temporarily suspended, and prayers in mosques to save lives, activities that increase the chances of infection such as markets, salons, and sports clubs were suspended, and studies were suspended early and completed remotely, and the same applies to government and private sectors, and this success in completing studies and working remotely reflects the progress that has been reached. The kingdom has an advanced and superior digital infrastructure, in addition to adapting modern technologies and using them in the face of the Corona crisis.
And let us not forget that the Kingdom has a long history in facing epidemics and managing crowds in the seasons of Hajj and Umrah, and this culminated in the success of the exceptional Hajj season of 1441 AH, and that no infection was recorded among the pilgrims, and this is an achievement that only the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can do, and history will record that it defeated Corona in The height of his battle, and the Hajj season was completed with ease, ease, and comfort for the pilgrims, with the application of social distancing and health precautions.
Among the success factors that have been embodied on the ground is the wonderful “health system” that the Kingdom possesses, thanks to a leadership that raised the slogan “People First” since the start of the pandemic, and directed the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz to provide free treatment to citizens, residents, and even violators of the residency system, despite High costs of treatment due to the fact that the disease is new and has no specific treatment, and recovery from it for some cases takes long periods, requiring them to stay in the hospital and obtain medical care for long periods.
Certainly, we do not forget the support provided by the government to the Ministry of Health, which amounts to more than 15 billion riyals to confront the Corona virus, at a time when the global economy is suffering from stagnation due to the closure and the decline in oil prices, so we saw expanded examination, increased hospital beds, and the opening of field hospitals, as well as support from the private sector. damaged facilities and support for individuals working in the vehicle steering activity, and this great support is not surprising for our wise leadership, which proved to the world that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a factor of construction, growth, prosperity and stability for man and his health, and in this regard I recall the word of our father, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques at the beginning of the Corona crisis, which reflected The Saudi leadership and humanitarian role in the region, when he called for extending a helping hand to developing and least developed countries to support their infrastructure, assist them in combating epidemics and strengthening global readiness and a unified response to confront infectious diseases in the future, which is what the Kingdom was keen on in its leadership of the Group of Twenty, and economic reforms Led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, it played a clear role in overcoming the disturbing effects of that pandemic, as he had read the scene well and Vision 2030 was launched to build an ambitious homeland and a prosperous economy that does not fall hostage to fluctuations in oil prices.
Frontline doctors and nurses
And Dr. Jawaher Al-Enezi adds: There is no doubt that Saudi women enjoy leadership that provided them with opportunities for success, creativity, and contribution to the renaissance of the country. Women’s empowerment is moving at a steady pace, and today we see Saudi women’s imprint of brilliance in all fields, and in the Corona crisis, the daughters of the country made unforgettable efforts, especially those who work in The health field, including female doctors and nurses, stood on the front lines in hospitals and quarantines and in the expanded examination of the neighborhoods that were isolated, and among them was the late nurse Nujud Al-Khaibari, who was honored to launch her name on the newest medical center in Medina to confront the Corona virus, for her dedication to her work and her death Because of her infection with the virus, and the regulatory, preventive, and precautionary measures taken by the Kingdom, including remote work, helped give women a full opportunity to work and participate, and we had an excellent experience in the Shura Council through remote work, as the government provided us, may God grant it success, an integrated technical system It enabled us to perform tasks and complete work in an easy and convenient way, while providing support and assistance to the members of the Council, as the remote work experience during the first week of implementation was a great success that exceeded expectations, which was positively reflected in the holding of Council sessions, holding meetings of specialized committees, as well as convening Meetings with delegates and representatives of government agencies.
Delightful numbers.. and promising results
For her part, Dr. Thoraya Obaid, Chair of the Women’s Communication Group 20, one of the communication groups of the Group of Twenty, praised the success factors because of which the Kingdom achieved these positive results in combating the Corona virus, and prevented its spread in Saudi Arabia, saying: We hear today that the number of infections is the lowest in four years. Months, and this is good news, but this requires follow-up, non-compliance, and the continuation of the necessary preventive measures.
She explained that the factors that led to the success of dealing with Corona are the holistic view of the Minister of Health, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, and the adoption of a comprehensive national health plan with coordination between the relevant ministries and agencies, by securing hospitals, health centers and pharmacies with special needs to deal with the pandemic, so that treatment needs can be met, as well as Home and personal sterilization, in addition to quarantine for a period of 7 or 14 days, depending on the case, stopping flights within the Kingdom, international flights, and then re-travel in stages.
Not to mention feeding the citizen with daily information, about the country's situation regarding the number of infections, recovery cases and deaths in the various cities of the Kingdom, which helped in educating the citizen, and the need to follow preventive steps. As well as raising citizen awareness about the virus, through media messages, social networking sites, and electronic links to obtain information about available services.
The preventive measures plan also contributed to ensuring the health of citizens at the entrances to public places and wearing masks, and approving financial fines for those who do not adhere to the necessity of using a mask in public places. While the citizen’s awareness and desire to cooperate with the government and its effort contributed to securing the health of everyone, knowing that there are injuries that came as a result of not adhering to spatial distancing, for example during holidays or so on.
Doctor: We are racing against time
For her part, Dr. Hind Abd al-Hadi al-Ghamdi, consultant radiologist and neurologist, head of the radiology department at King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah, says: We were attacked by the Corona pandemic while I was at the beginning of my presidency of the hospital’s radiology department, and it was the biggest challenge for me and my determination and determination to continue providing the best service to patients, while taking all measures and precautions to ensure Safety of patients and department staff. Praise be to God, and thanks to the concerted efforts of everyone, we were able to serve the largest number of patients, and reports were issued for more than 500 examinations per month. We were racing against time with the management of the field hospital to read the x-ray examinations performed for patients during a specific period of time.
Our days with Corona were, and still are, a challenge indeed, and despite the fatigue, the appreciation we found from our leadership, and from the Saudi people, is true happiness and is considered the culmination of our successes.
High perseverance
While Dr. Kholoud Nabil Musa, a consultant jaw surgeon, expressed her feelings as a doctor while facing this pandemic, saying: During several months in which our feelings as doctors, sons, fathers, and mothers were conflicted, in which patriotic duty united with our fear for those we love, we stood steadfast in front of a virus that we do not know the extent of its lethality and changes. But we believe in our strength to face it by following and applying safety and quality standards. The Corona virus taught us that unity in thought is strength, even if we are socially distant, and indeed this is what happened. We all worked as doctors, nurses, and technicians in the Kingdom’s hospitals, in the spirit of one team, bringing us together within a united system under the banner of a supportive administration.
We were and still are sons of one nation, righteous in our oath, which we took upon all of us graduating from the medical edifice, to preserve the profession, provide all medical services to serve patients, and perform our duty to our country and our people to the fullest.
The Corona experience, despite its difficulty, taught us how your smile while performing your work means a lot to the patient and gives him reassurance, and that a sincere invitation from a patient instills in us the spirit of hope and work for the beginning of a new day. The Corona experience introduced us to people’s pure metals at work and the goodness of what is inside them, and that God’s hand is with the group, even if we are socially distant. She taught us that the crisis will pass and weaken and that what is to come is more beautiful, and that our lofty determination will reach the summit and promote our medical services locally and globally.
My battle with Corona..
And the suffering of protecting my children On the other hand, Jawaher Maajini, Head of Home Care Nursing, spoke about the constant fear and anxiety about transmitting the infection to children and parents, saying: My infection with the Corona virus taught me that no matter how keen you are to protect your family, your share will come from what is written for you. The infection of one individual is enough to spread the disease throughout The house.. Yes, with that ease the number will double, and you will find two or three in the hospital and you do not have the right to enter, and to be sure of the one you love, you can only pray, your young children will shout at them if they approach you, and at the same time you will wash your hands more than fifty times a day Because you serve them and you cannot place them with anyone else. Because their ages range from 2 to 8 years, and you are afraid that they will stick to you at night, and you do not know how to explain to a two-year-old about Corona?! My son Muhammad, until now, thinks that I tell him, “I have pasta.” He gets very angry every time he turns away from him, because he sees that pasta is beautiful and delicious, and even his favorite food. Every time I leave my room to serve them, I wash my hands dozens of times, put Dettol spray on my clothes, and trust in God, I go to them. And I was afraid every day that a fever would come to me, so I would not be able to serve them, but God Almighty is Kind, All-Knowing, and He gave me the strength that made me overcome this crisis, which did not end except with the help of my 8-year-old eldest son.
A volunteer doctor.. and a confrontation with the virus
A doctor with a consultant rank, far from specialists in combating the Corona virus or those directly in charge of treating patients, she refused to watch the pandemic from afar and decided to work as a volunteer even though she is a consultant for root canals and dental nerves. Dr. Dina Sami Qutbuddin entered the battle of Corona as a volunteer and then succeeded in establishing a team To work directly with patients, and turned into a knowledge icon for health practitioners in dealing with the disease, and about her participation in confronting the emerging corona virus, she said: I participated in the beginning as a volunteer in a team whose main task is to take samples, as I was a member of the group, but I found some things and deficiencies that need to be repeated. Adjustment, I started working on it, and after that I met the director of the hospital and explained to him the things we need, so he assigned me the responsibility for that, so I knew a plan and established a team responsible for infection control for sterilization, and we started training workers on hygiene, teaching them how to clean and sterilize because the cause of the pandemic is a virus found on surfaces And we must work seriously, especially when cleaning surfaces, so that we can contain the infection. Indeed, I did instructive lectures for the group in all languages, through practical explanation to them on how to prevent by wearing masks and sterilization, because they are considered the important soldier in the war against the pandemic, and they are the base on which to build to get rid of the pandemic. Therefore, we worked on this with educational lectures and videos, and we distributed them to them, and then we monitored whether cleaning and sterilization were done well, and I followed them personally in that. I also did the cleaning work myself inside the facilities, and that did not prevent me from being a doctor or a consultant, and I was working hard and diligently until we got out of this crisis, even though my specialty is far from that.
An unknown enemy that we do not see
Dr. Alaa Jamal Sherkar, a “volunteer doctor,” says: Yesterday, I did not expect that we would live what we lived through during the pandemic. I could not imagine that a day would come and the sanctuary would be closed and the mosques would be closed. Airports and streets are empty of all people, as if in a dream I see the world from another planet and it is deserted, dark, fear and terror prevail. It has been a long time since the last time I embraced my mother and kissed her and smelled her scent, and it was the day of my volunteering in the fight against this malicious enemy, so I could not imagine that I would bear the sin of this burden and this pain to infect, God forbid, to someone I love or to anyone unintentionally, as it is a pain that cannot Confront him with the tyranny of any heart, whatever it is. We are at war, a war with an unknown enemy that we do not see and it sees us and besieges us and we cannot catch or find it. Therefore, I was one of the first volunteers to help the health sector confront this hidden enemy.. Thank God, with relentless efforts, work day and night without tiredness or boredom, and cooperation and distancing, our health system was able to achieve amazing results in increasing recovery cases and reducing deaths, praise be to God. I am proud that I participated in part Simple to have the honor of serving my beloved country.
Awareness in multiple languages.. and a strict health protocol
During the fight against the Corona pandemic and infection control, Amal Al-Shuaibi, the infection coordinator, explains the most important plans and strategies that were implemented to prevent the spread of the Corona virus pandemic inside hospitals, saying: First, the focus was on the visual triage area located at the emergency entrance, where trained and experienced 24/7 nursing practitioners put in order to sort The cases were separated and directed to the emergency, and places for examining, waiting, and hospitalizing patients with suspected cases of infection with the emerging coronavirus were separated from the rest of the patients, and one path was determined for the cases without mixing with any of the other reviewing patients, and the rapid turnover of the case and conducting radiological and laboratory examinations in the shortest time to prevent crowding. Awareness posters on cough etiquette, hand hygiene, and ways to prevent infection with the emerging corona virus. In addition to urging employees to keep a distance of one and a half to two meters between each employee and another, and to specify the entrances and exits of the hospital for employees as well as for emergency patients, so that each area has a path for entry and a path for exit in the event that there is more than one entrance. Pocket alcohol disinfectants were also provided to doctors, and hand sanitizer packages were provided in all hospital facilities and corridors, as well as awareness posters for washing hands with soap and water, and paper tissues were provided at all sinks and placed in prominent places for use, with all employees required to wear medical or cloth masks or what covers them. The face and nose when entering the workplace, and ensuring that they are used throughout their time in offices and public places at the headquarters, while preventing movement between the different work areas in the office without disinfecting hands. And Al-Shuaibi adds: All vital areas, surfaces, and common tools are well cleaned and disinfected, especially (elevators, staircase barriers, and door handles) on a regular basis, according to a clear daily schedule, and the “flexible working hours” policy has been applied to all employees to prevent overcrowding, and reliance on meetings via contact. Visible as much as possible, and in the event of a need for face-to-face meetings, the distance between people (one and a half to two meters) must be adhered to. Finally, continuous training and reminders of the correct behaviors and the use of social media, digital screens, text messages and other channels in several languages (such as: Arabic, English, Urdu, Tagalog, etc.) to raise their level of awareness.
Sarah Al-Otaibi @sarahalotaibi9, Hussein Hazazi @h_hzazi, @Adnanshabrawi Adnanshabrawi