Royal Philips Electronics and the Specialized Academy for Medical Training (SAMT) on Monday said they will work together to provide medical education and training programs for high school graduates and staff in hospitals and medical centers across Saudi Arabia.

The duo plans to implement several programs from October onwards, covering medical technology disciplines including X-ray, Ultrasound and Healthcare IT.

Each program will consist of a combination of E-learning modules and practical training and will be accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.

The SAMT was established in 2000 with the aim of providing high-quality medical education and training to young Saudi nationals.

The organization currently offers six diploma programs in dental technology, medical secretary, medical laboratory, medical records and archiving, radiology technology and nursing.

Each program includes two years of academic study and six months of practical training in a healthcare environment.

“At Philips Healthcare we believe the key to improving health outcomes is to develop strong partnerships with leading healthcare organizations such as the SAMT,” said Dick Bunschoten, country manager Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at Philips.

“In the Middle East, as in many parts of the world, the lack of availability of trained medical staff is an increasingly large challenge,' he pointed out.

'This collaboration demonstrates Philips’ commitment to solving the big issues in healthcare, while at the same time actively seeking to respond to the Saudi Community call to develop, train & educate the future Saudi generations in the latest Healthcare Technologies & Solutions,' he added.

In addition to its Diploma program, SAMT also provides a combination of Continuous Medical Education (CME-accredited) courses and workshops.

It operates at the moment from five locations in the Kingdom – Riyadh, Medina, Jeddah, Qassim and Taif and is planning to open additional facilities in the coming years. Currently more than 1000 students enrolled on its courses.-TradeArabia News Service