King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital and Research Center Wins Two Awards at the Arab Government Excellence Award 2025

King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KKESH&RC) has received two awards at the Arab Government Excellence Award (AGEA) in the following categories: Best Arab Government Project for Health Sector Development and Best General Manager of an Arab Authority or Institution. These awards recognize the hospital’s outstanding efforts and institutional contributions to advancing health sector and enhancing the quality of services provided.

The hospital received the Best Arab Government Project for Health Sector Development award for the National Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) Telemedicine Screening Program, one of Saudi Arabia’s health sector transformation initiatives. Since its launch in 2019, the program has become a leading national model, making a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of premature infants by protecting them from preventable blindness. The initiative was introduced in response to critical challenges within the health sector, including the shortage of ophthalmology consultants specialized in examining premature infants, the wide geographic spread and limited accessibility of neonatal intensive care units, and the high risk associated with delayed diagnosis of ROP, the leading cause of blindness among children under the age of five.

The program is built on an innovative model through an electronic platform fully developed by engineers from the Executive Administration of Information Technology at KKESH&RC. Through this platform, retinal images of premature newborns are digitally captured within neonatal intensive care units, automatically uploaded, and remotely reviewed by retinal consultants, who issue reports within a short timeframe to ensure timely intervention. This model has eliminated the need for physicians to travel between regions and has ensured that every premature infant, even in remote areas, receives advanced screening services with the same level of quality and efficiency.

To date, the program has screened 21,247 cases and provided treatment to 431 children. Beyond these figures, the program represents a vital investment in the future of an entire generation at risk of permanent vision loss. It reflects a strong humanitarian value that embodies the Kingdom’s vision of placing human health first and demonstrates the importance of innovation and technology in preventing blindness and creating hope. The program is the result of a strategic partnership between KKESH&RC and the Ministry of Health, with the integration of roles and expertise contributing to the establishment of an effective preventive system, the first of its kind in the region.

In addition, Dr. Abdulaziz bin Ibrahim AlRajhi, CEO of KKESH&RC, received the award for Best General Manager of an Arab Authority or Institution. This recognition honors the institutional development and added value achieved under his guidance, as well as his influential role as the Regional Chair for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness- Eastern Mediterranean Region.

This accomplishment reaffirms the leading position of KKESH&RC in the field of ophthalmology and underscores its commitment to innovation and the development of specialized healthcare programs, in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 and its goals of improving healthcare quality and promoting institutional excellence.