Newly opened dental clinic "biggest in Mideast" - minister

KUWAIT, Sept 17 (KUNA) -- The launch of "Al-Farwaniya Dental Centre" was part of a national development plan that aims to propel Kuwaiti healthcare to new levels, Kuwait's health minister said on Sunday.
The remarks by Dr. Jamal Al-Harbi came in a ceremony to open the sprawling facility in Kuwait's Farwaniya governorate, which stretches over 23,000 square meters -- at a cost of KD 15.7 million (USD 51.8 million).
On the clinic, Al-Harbi revealed that it features a basement and three floors, in addition to an operating room, a laboratory, auditorium and parking lot that accommodates 1,400 vehicles.
The minister of health pointed out that the centre offers a wide array of dental procedures in a facility that boasts a 4,000-member strong workforce. Al-Harbi pointed out that the dental industry has made significant progress in Kuwait, where the number of dentists has skyrocketed to 1,971 physicians, up from 686 back at the start of the new millennium.
Citing notable projects in the industry, he pinpointed dental clinics' use of an e-file to replace antiquated paper documents that typically have a bigger margin for error.
Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti ministry of health's assistant undersecretary for dental affairs Dr. Yousef Al-Duwairi told the press on the sidelines of the ceremony that the new dental clinic is the first of its kind in the Middle East region.
He added that the well-equipped facility would provide dental care for Farwaniya residents for the next three decades. (end) ntk.nam