His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Health for Health Affairs, Dr. Mansour Al-Howasi, expressed his satisfaction for the smoothness of the pilgrims' movement among the Holy Sites, affirming that the pilgrims' health situation is reassuring, and that no epidemic cases have been reported. This is due first to Allah's grace and guidance, and then to the capabilities which the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques provided, and to the coordination and integration among all authorities. He also made clear that the Ministry of Health is ready to provide all the health services to the Hajj performers.
Within the same vein, he pointed out that the Ministry had 443 of the patient pilgrims flocked to the Holy Site of Arafat to complete their Hajj performers via medical convoys, supervised by medical and nursery cadres. In addition, the Ministry's hospitals in Makkah, Madinah, and the Holy Sites provided their services for 294223 patients from the first of Dhul-Hijjah till the morning of the Eid Day (Dhul-Hijjah 10th).
Dr. Al-Howasi, at a press conference held at the building of the Mina Emergency Hospital, lauded the cooperation and integration among the governmental health sectors in the Holy Sites, which work within fully fledged health system, in order to serve the Hajj performers and integrate the health services between the Ministry of Health and the health services at the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, Saudi National Guard, and Saudi Red Crescent Authority.
He further stated that so far many swift interventions have taken place to save the Hajj performers' life, to the effect that 30 open-heart surgery operations have been conducted on a number of the Hajj performers, and 237 interventional cardiac catheterization operations, in addition to 707 dialysis sessions. He also pointed out that these services and other distinctive services and subspecialties are provided through the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his heir apparent to the Hajj performers every year.
Dr. Al-Hawasy added that the Ministry worked on providing the best health services during the past period for the Hajj performers, and it is still providing them at the hospitals and health centers of the Ministry's facilities in Makkah, Madinah, and the Holy Sites, where in the Holy Site of Mina, Mina Emergency Hospital, Mina Al-Jisr Hospital, Mina Al-Wadi Hospital, and Mina Share Al-Jadid Hospital operate. They include all the specialties and outpatient clinics with all the different medical specialties for the adult and the young; in addition hospitalization and X-ray sections, and laboratories, supported by 28 health centers; in order to cover the Holy Site of Mina during the days of Tashreeq (the days following the day of immolation).
Meanwhile, he pointed out that the success achieved by the Ministry of Health during the current Hajj season is due first to Allah's guidance, then to the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Heir Apparent, May Allah protect them, and the Ministry's early preparations which included equipping and staffing the hospitals and health centers with the highest level of the medical and nursery cadres, medical devices, and communication technology. In addition, they were provided with the medicines, solutions, medical reagents, which the hospitals need to serve the Hajj performers, beside blood bank containing enough amounts of blood units and groups.
He affirmed further that the Ministry of Health provided field medical teams , able to swiftly intervene and tackle what result from crowding and jostling, May Allah forbids, to the effect that it provided 80 large ambulances and 95 small ones. It also prepared plans for medical evacuation in terms of emergency accidents, and assured of the readiness and precision of its staff with regard to their implementing for the emergency plans at the health facilities and tackling the emergency infectious and epidemiological cases.
Dr. Al-Howasi said that "the Hajj performers benefit from the medical services which are provided through 17 health centers overlooking Al-Jamaraat Bridge on the various floors after having been prepared and staffed. This is in order to work as emergency centers dealing with the emergency cases along the Bridge and providing the ambulatory services for the Hajj performers.
He finally added that the ministry of Health is going to continue following up the health situations of the Hajj performers during the next period; in order to complete their Hajj rites and return to their homes sound and healthy.