SCH President receives Saudi EMRO Director nominee

Manama, Aug. 21 (BNA): Lieutenant-General Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Supreme Council of Health (SCH) President, has affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and thanks to the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, is keen to provide quality health services to all members of society.
 
The SCH President was speaking while receiving here today Dr. Hanan bint Hassan Balkhi, Saudi Arabia’s candidate for the post of Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO EMRO), who is on a visit to the kingdom to present her electoral programme and discuss areas of cooperation between Bahrain and EMRO.
 
Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla praised EMRO’s fruitful role, noting that its cooperation has contributed to achieving many successes regarding the implementation of joint health plans, projects and programmes.
 
He stressed the importance of carrying on cooperation with WHO to enhance health services.
 
During the meeting, attended by several health sector officials, Dr. Balkhi was briefed about the kingdom’s health services, including the implementation mechanisms of the Health Insurance System.
 
The two sides also discussed the latest regional and global health developments.
 
Dr. Hanan Balkhi, Saudi Arabia’s nominee for the post of EMRO Director, commended the efforts exerted by the government, led by HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the SCH, led by Lieutenant-General Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla, to advance the kingdom’s health sector.
 
Dr. Balkhi reviewed her electoral programme, which is based on making healthcare accessible to all, especially the hard-to-reach population, commitment to promoting universal health coverage across the region, and to ensuring that everyone has access to basic services.
 
She expressed thanks and appreciation to the SCH President for the warm welcome accorded to her, wishing the kingdom’s health sector continued success in achieving its goals.
 
Dr. Balkhi also visited a number of health facilities in the kingdom, and expressed admiration for the level of health services they provide.