The Ministry of Health, represented by Madinah Health Affairs General Directorate, continues to provide the health services for the visitors of the Allah Messenger's Mosque before and after the 1433H Hajj season. The Directorate has started long before carrying out a though-out plan to achieve the best level of performance of the health services for the pilgrims, citizens, and the residents, and to provide a set of integrated health services through curative, preventive, and ambulatory programs. And this is through well-equipped health facilities and qualified, trained medical cadres to provide such services.
As such, the Directorate has prepared 8 hospitals to serve the pilgrims at 1020 bed capacity, apt to reach 1186 beds; and they include 139 Intensive Care and Emergency beds. And the hospitals include King Fahad Hospital: 430-500 beds; Al-Ansar Hospital: 100-120 beds; Al Miqat Hospital: 67-120 beds; Ohud Hospital: 239-246 beds; Al Hanakiah Hospital: 50 beds; Khyber Hospital: 34-50 beds; Al Hanah Hospital: 50 beds; and Valley Hospital 50 beds. However, the rest of the governmental hospitals in Madinah are the third defense line in the event of disasters, Allah forbids. And the private sector hospitals are the fourth defense line, as they are used in the event of disasters, and the insufficiency of the MOH's beds for emergency.
Furthermore, these hospitals are supported by a number of primary health care centers spread in the central area around the Madinah Haram (Sanctuary), places where the pilgrims and visitors gather, and main roads leading to the Hajj areas. Hence, four centers have been prepared in the squares surrounding Madinah Haram (Sanctuary); they are: Bab Jibril Center, Al-Safiah Center, Al Salam Center, and Al-Majidy Center. And 6 health centers in the pilgrims' housing areas, and they are: Al-Ejaba Health Center, Ohud Center, Qiba'a Center, Al-Awaly Center, and Al-Ansar Center. As far as entries and exits of Madinah are concerned, 3 health centers have been prepared; they are: Land Pilgrims Center, Al-Hijrah Station Center, and Al-Miqat Center. In addition, two health centers have been prepared along the main roads from and to Madinah; they are Al-Yotmah Health Center and Al-Salsah Health Center.
As for the entries of Madinah, 3 centers of health control have been prepared; they are: Health Control Center at Prince Mohammed bin Abdul-Aziz Airport in Madinah, Health Control Center at Prince Abdulmohsin Bin Abdul Aziz Airport in Yanbu, and Health Control Center in Yanbu Commercial Airport, in addition to the Clinic of the guests of the Two Holy Mosques, which is being prepared in one of the hotels designated to receive guests. However, these health centers accommodate for 49 beds, apt to reach 56 beds.
The Directorate has been keen on preparing and equipping these health facilities with ambulances, and coordinating with the Saudi Red Crescent authority via Emergency and Crises Department with regard to moving the cases transferred from the health centers to hospitals. Furthermore, the medical devices, medicines, medical supplies, and vaccinations have been secured, in addition to health awareness means in terms of screens, boards, posters, and awareness brochures. And the pool of the labor force has been counted at these facilities, and the shortage has been determined and trained; in order to provide the health services for the Hajj pilgrims.
As far as the preventive aspect is concerned, the Directorate implements a preventive plan including a campaign to vaccinate citizens and residents who would like to perform the Hajj, in addition to those who work during the Hajj: health workers, security forces, and hotel staff.
In addition, strict preventive procedures are applied against some infectious and epidemiological diseases such as yellow fever, meningitis, cholera, and swine flu. It is required from those who hail from the yellow fever-affected states to submit a vaccination certificate against this disease, valid in line with the international health organizations. In the event that the vaccination certificate is not taken out, the pilgrim will be put under close health control for six days of the vaccination date; in order to follow up if they developed any symptoms and report them. Also, it is made sure that all the pilgrims have taken quadrivalent vaccine in their countries, in no less than ten days' period.
The Ministry of Health has supported Madinah with small and big ambulances to implement emergency and crises plan before and after the Hajj season, and to swiftly intervene to tackle the cases and transfer them to the health facilities. Also, it has provided the laboratory requisites and supplies with sufficient amounts and has followed up their storage means, along with providing amounts of blood units and its products in the Central Blood Bank and the peripheral blood banks.