The Secretary-General of the Council of Cooperative Health Insurance (CCHI), Dr. Abdullah bin Ibraheem Al-Shereef stated that the KSA's government has shouldered the responsibility of serving the pilgrims, and providing all the services which guarantee for them performing the Hajj rituals in an easy, safe way. In addition, he has noted that watertight planning and systematic, scientific management lie behind the success of the Hajj season and million-strong gatherings management, which have come to the land of the Two Holy Mosques from “every deep and distant”. It has also overcome major challenges with respect to organizing the performance of the Hajj rituals in a specific time limit and geographical space.
Moreover, Al-Shereef has added that among the most important priorities is to maintain the pilgrim's health through providing the preventive, curative, and ambulatory health services in line with the most distinctive levels. And this is through several health facilities spread throughout the Kingdom, starting with the main ports, through the Hajj areas, and down to the Holy Sites and Madinah.
In addition, he has noted that the Ministry of Health has adopted the slogan (Pilgrims' Health Is our Concern), affirming its dedication and interest in serving the pilgrim's safety as far as the health side is concerned, harnessing all its material and human capabilities. Hence, as far as the preventive services are concerned, the Ministry has worked on applying the slogan (Prevention Is Better than Cure) through tightening control over the epidemiological status of the diseases, and following up the development and changes which the international health status undergoes, through cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and international health bodies.
And as far as the ambulatory services are concerned, the Ministry has set plans for emergency covering all the regions with numerical density, in addition to operating 17 health centers along the Jamarat Bridge. As for the field medicine services, the Ministry has provided 80 big ambulances to transfer patients among the health facilities, and 95 small ambulances to address the field illness cases. Speaking of curative services, 25 hospitals and 141 health centers have been prepared, distributed all over the Hajj areas. Also, those programs have been supported with as many as 20 thousand participants of the Manpower Program, representing all the medical, technical, and administrative groups.
And Al-Shereef has concluded his statement by reiterating that the Ministry of Health, following it, through reviewing the organizational plans and developing shortly after finishing every Hajj season, prepares for the next one them to the point of achieving the pilgrim's comfort and safety. And this is in line with the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Government, may Allah protect it, for exerting the utmost efforts, which guarantee the success of the Hajj season.