His Excellency Deputy Minister of Health for Health Affairs Dr. Mansour bin Nasser Al-Howasi said the government of the Guardian of the Two Holy Mosques His Highness King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz and His Highness Crown Prince, may Allah save them, represented by the Ministry of Health, utilized all its human and material capabilities to offer health care to pilgrims, and continues to offer preventive, therapeutic, awareness and ambulance services to the pilgrims at the airports, land ports and seaports, Al-Medina, the holy capital and the main roads.
Dr. Al-Howasi asserted that the ministry keeps watch of the health situation of the performers of Hajj and Omrah and visitors of the mosque of Prophet Mohamed by controlling epidemic diseases, applying all health prerequisites for all incoming visitors, and operating 15 health control centers on the Kingdom's arrival ports. These centers are equipped with human resources, equipments and vaccines as a first defense line for the enforcement of the heath controls on all pilgrims. He said the Preventive Medicine Program at Medina is supported by 107 staff members and there is a continuous follow up of developments to the global health arena via the reports of the World Health Organization and other global health bodies.
His Excellency pointed out the ministry prepared 25 hospitals with 5250 beds, nine of which are government hospitals that offer services now at Medina, seven in the holy capital, besides King Abdullah Medical City. Eight other hospitals were equipped at the Holy Places, supported by 141 permanent and seasonal health centers (43 at the holy capital, 80 health centers in the holy places, 46 at Arafat, 6 in Muzdalifah and 28 at Mena). That is plus 12 centers at Medina.
He added that 20,000 doctors, nurses, technicians and administration staff were assigned, 16 blood and derivatives unites supplied, 175 ambulances offered to guarantee excellent health service across the areas of hajj.
He said the Ministry continues its specialized health services to pilgrims, adding that the ministry employed 320 consultants and specialist doctors from inside the Kingdom in intensive care, emergency, cardiology, respiratory treatment, intensive care nursing specialization to support the facilities in the holy capital, holy places and Medina. Besides the ministry offers field medical services including 80 big ambulances, 95 small equipped with medical teams.
He pointed out that during this season, a new hospital has been added, East Arafat Hospital with capacity of 236 beds, 50 for intensive care and 30 for emergencies. The ministry prepares a convoy to transport bed-ridden patients at the hospitals of Medina, the holy places to Arafat to complete the rituals.