ADEN — The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) signed on Wednesday a contract to operate and administrate a hospital in Aden Governorate at a total cost of SR330,537,081, in a bid to serve 438,000 patients annually. The Aden General Hospital will start operations within 90 days after completing all preparations, including the recruitment of medical staff and testing the efficacy of the hospital facilities and devices, and supplying essential medicines and medical equipment. The hospital will operate to 50% capacity in the first year to meet the emergency needs of Aden and its neighboring governorates. The hospital will work to full capacity as of the second year. The project aims at contributing to upgrading the performance of the health sector and increasing the quality of services in Aden and its neighboring governorates, in addition to ensuring good health and welfare, improving the medical services available to the Yemeni people, and increasing access to receive treatment. The hospital is comprised of 14 qualitative clinics and a heart center. The clinics include ophthalmology, pediatrics, dermatology, dentistry, ear, nose and throat, orthopedics, internal medicine, and reproductive health, in addition to facilities for laparoscopy and physiotherapy. The total area of the hospital stands at 20,000 square meters. With a capacity of 270 beds, the hospital is equipped with 2,187 medical devices. The project provided all central air conditioning devices for the hospital and main and secondary electronic panels, in addition to installing a burner for harmful waste. The scheme also contributed to providing electric power through five converters (three main devices and two additional) with a capacity of 1,600 kilovolt ampere and convertors with capacities of (11/0.4/0.23) volts 500 hertz, in addition to providing an emergency generator with a capacity of 1,000 kilovolt ampere and five generators with a parallel panel system. The Aden General Hospital was established as a gift from Saudi Arabia for the Yemeni people and was financed by the Saudi Fund for Development. — SPA