Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah

Hundreds of local nurses will be trained to treat renal patients at the first Integrated Renal Care Center (IRCC), which was inaugurated on Tuesday by Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah in Riyadh.

The facility, sponsored by global renal care provider Diaverum, will integrate the d.ACADEMY training center, dialysis center, and a vascular access procedure room to optimize care delivery.

Al-Rabiah told News Agency the effort is part of the Health Ministry’s program to harness international cooperation to help renal patients.

Every year, the number of Saudis suffering from kidney disease increases by 7 percent on average. There are 17,000 patients who have reached end-stage renal disease in the Kingdom, according to the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation.

Dag Andersson, president and CEO of Diaverum, said his company looks after 2,727 patients with a total staff of 892, including 150 doctors in 27 state-of-the-art clinics across the Kingdom.

“Diaverum established its first clinic in 2011 in Dammam,” Andersson said, adding that the company has invested SR500 million ($133 million) to provide high-quality renal care for Saudi patients.

“We use an expert third-party company to measure patient satisfaction, and we have seen a steady increase and have brought the latest figures to 98 percent,” he said.

“Well-trained and educated staff is the key for the successful treatment of chronic kidney disease. This is why Diaverum, through the establishment of d.ACADEMY, has always offered its doctors and nurses an innovative and internationally recognized education,” Andersson said.

The IRCC in Riyadh will hire and train local talent. He said the program for nurses will be open to locals who have a diploma in nursing.

Ziyad Kabli, Middle East managing director, said: “We will continue to make large, long-term investments in critical medical infrastructure, making the Kingdom our biggest market globally by 2018.”