SWISS cabling solutions specialist Reichle & De-Massari (R&M) has completed a multi-phase network infrastructure makeover for Riyadh’s Al Hammadi Hospital, one of the leading Saudi healthcare facilities in Saudi Arabia.

Al Hammadi Hospital is the latest in a series of significant cabling installations done by R&M. Most recently, the company completed the installations of its modular solutions for King Khaled University Hospital’s (KKUH) network infrastructure expansion, also in Riyadh. This and several other reference projects have given it an advantage of understanding the special requirements of healthcare facilities.

Says an R&M spokesman: “The Saudi healthcare sector is known as one of the most advanced in the Middle East, offering comprehensive and expert medical care services to the kingdom’s citizens. Hospitals and practitioners, however, must continually improve the level of healthcare services as well as stay abreast of medical best practices. This includes continual upgrades in medical equipment and facilities, starting with investing in a state-of-the-art network infrastructure.”

This was the decision Al Hammadi Hospital took when it decided to add a new hospital wing and upgrade its facilities, he adds.

Al Hammadi, which started operations in 1985, has since become the largest private hospital in Riyadh. As part of the expansion plan, Al Hammadi Hospital’s decision makers agreed that improving the network infrastructure as a basic step was of the utmost importance.

“R&M understands the special requirements for such a critical sector as healthcare, and has completed several projects throughout the Middle East and Saudi Arabia,” comments the spokesman.

“Moreover, R&M’s Swiss-manufactured solutions were also a determining factor in being tapped for the project. Its Swiss quality solutions were appreciated and comply with Al Hammadi’s desire to implement the highest levels of quality for the network. This will ensure that Al Hammadi meets current national and international facilities standards,” he adds.

For Al Hammadi, R&M recommended the installation of Category 6 LSZH (low smoke zero halogen) cable for maximum levels of protection against any high sources of heat in a hospital building. “The advantage is that Category 6 LSZH releases low smoke zero halogens in case of proximity to high heat or fire,” the spokesman explains.

Tool-less Category 6 connection modules as well as PCB (printed circuit board) free and OM3 LSZH fibre cables were also installed. To ensure maximum protection against potentially disruptive elements in addition to heat, R&M also provided the water and dust protection outlets as part of the protection plan. The installation of protection outlets is recommended and in accordance with IP54 for areas that have these utilisations. In total, R&M installed 2,900 new connection points throughout the hospital’s expanded area.

“Protecting data transmission is critical in a health facility as numerous patient records are stored and need to be accessed quickly, at times in urgent situations. In line with these needs, R&M’s network plan recommended that a small data centre should also be configured,” says the spokesman.

For the data centre connectivity, R&M advised the installation of off-set copper panels capable of handling 24 ports each and high-quality tested unirack fibre panels. These solutions guarantee optimum results for the operation process as well as data transfer, he adds.

R&M also addressed one of the key requirements for Al Hammadi’s new network, which is that it needed to be scalable in order to accommodate future operations and the expected data traffic increases over the coming years.

“R&M’s entire product portfolio of passive and active solutions have the ability to adapt, enlarge and be customised, keeping any network infrastructure running at its optimum with zero downtime or slow down regardless of peaks in data traffic,” the spokesman points out.

R&M also supplemented the renowned Swiss quality of its products by providing timely on-the-ground support. Its local office in Saudi Arabia provided responsive consultation and guidance on R&M’s copper and fibre range in order to craft a solution to meet Al Hammadi’s requirements. As a result, hospital network planners chose R&M over its competitors, he adds.

R&M’s local partner on the project is Wipro Arabia Limited (WAL), a joint venture between Wipro and Dar Al Riyadh. The latter is one of the kingdom’s most respected and admired organisations.

Headquartered in Bangalore, India, Wipro provides comprehensive IT solutions and services, including systems integration, information systems outsourcing, IT enabled services, package implementation, software application development and maintenance, and research and development services to corporations globally. WAL is a strategic IT partner to some of the biggest names in Saudi Arabia providing IT services and solutions across various sectors such as telecommunications, banking, oil and gas, government and healthcare.

R&M Saudi and Wipro Arabia have worked together on several projects and maintain a long-standing relationship of collaboration. For the Al Hammadi Hospital expansion, its R&M-certified installers provided a timely and error-free installation, supported by a deep knowledge of R&M’s product portfolio.

Wholly owned by the Swiss Reichle family, R&M is one of the largest companies in Switzerland employing more than 600 people. It has earned a reputation as a quality leader with its excellent copper and fibre optical products. R&M generates 75 per cent of its sales abroad and invests more than $9 million in research and development every year.