Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Rabeeah, announced that the Ministry has assigned 19.000 doctors, nurses and administrations to serve Pilgrims in Makkah and Al Madinah during Hajj season for this year. His Excellence stressed on the Ministry's facilities preparation regarding facing any epidemic or contagious disease, including pandemic influenza which is still spreading since many cases were registered in some countries, including the Kingdom, based on World Health Organization reports. He also pointed out that Hajj season is on e of the main reasons for spreading diseases and viruses due to the large mass gathering which required the Ministry to assign large numbers of field medical teams to deal with emergency cases in time.
Dr. Al Rabeeah clarified during a press conference held yesterday afternoon with Hajj Preparations Committees directors that the Ministry is preparing to provide high quality services which reflects the good picture of the Kingdom as part of our leadership dedication to provide the best services for pilgrims. The Ministry will hold Massive Gathering International Conference, under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holly Mosques, in Jeddah between the period 23-25 October 2010, the Conference will host more than 500 participants where 30 of them are world experts and represent Ministry of Health for the U.S and Germany, World Health Organization, U.S Diseases Combating Centre, Arab League, in addition of a number of local and Governmental Sectors participations. He also added that the Kingdom is considered an important and high experienced reference in such field.
The Minister assured that the Ministry is coordinating continuously with World Health Organization and different Health Sectors in the Kingdom since 135 high qualified consultants where hired to provide health care services based on their rare specialties and highly required in such season (i.e. ER and ICU).
Moreover, Dr. Al Rabeeah added that the Minster assigned 21 hospitals and 137 Primary Health Care Centers in different Holly places in Makkah and Al Madinah. In addition of arranging with the related sectors to determine Pilgrims massive gatherings in order to control the situation in time and prevent any resulted accidents in such places.
Dr. Al Rabeeah confirmed that the Ministry is dedicated to hire anti epidemic diseases experts since the Ministry is still registering virus infections for this year with the cooperation of diseases control centers, such as pandemic influenza, where should be deal with as normal influenza based on World Health Organization instructions. Furthermore, the Ministry- represented by Laboratories and Blood Banks Department, will utilize in Hajj season for the first time a new medical equipment which detects 18 kind of viruses at once including pandemic influenza.
In regard of what has been raised recently about some batches of powder infants milk "®Similac", the Minster confirmed that this kind of powder infant formulas is safe, where concerned authorities assured that such kind of batches are not presented in the Kingdom and the Ministry's hospitals, stressing on that the Ministry's commitment to provide safe and guarantied products for patients.