Under the auspices of His Excellency the Acting Minister of Health Eng. Adel bin Mohamed Faqih, the Ministry of Health (MOH) launched on Tuesday morning (September 16th, 2014) workshops for the heads of Hajj medical missions. The workshops are organized by the MOH in collaboration with the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean of the World Health Organization "WHO".
His Excellency the Advisor to the Minister of Health and Supervisor-General of the MOH’s Relations, Media and Health Awareness Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed Marghalani explained that the meeting came in the context of the intensified efforts exerted by the MOH in preparation for this year’s Hajj season, as the ministry targets providing healthcare for the Guests of Allah, enhancing its preventive measures to protect them, Allah willing, against diseases and maintaining their health and safety. “It also comes as part of its ongoing endeavors to ensure a healthy Hajj season,” Marghalani said, adding that the ministry has prepared many health facilities in Makkah, Madinah and Holy Sites with the aim of providing health services for the pilgrims, in addition to the other preventive services and application of the health requirements to the arrivals at Kingdom's ports of entry.
He pointed out that the meeting aims to follow up and discuss with the medical missions this year’s pilgrimage season and their role in supporting the efforts of the MOH in provision of public health services for the Guests of Allah and community and intensifying the efforts of health awareness through the medical missions. The two-day meeting was opened by a speech delivered by Dr. Hassan Al-Bishri, WHO representative to KSA, on behalf of WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Alaa Alwan. Afterwards, Dr. Abdullah Assiri read out to the audience the MOH's statement.
This was followed by a presentation on the issues topping the agenda of the meeting, including the readiness of the public health facilities for this year’s Hajj season, in addition to shedding light on the risks that may endanger the public health during the Hajj season and ways to address them. The participants in the meeting tackled also preparations undertaken by the countries at ports and airports before the departure of their citizens for Hajj. The meeting also discussed the mechanisms for exchanging health information among the participating countries as well as the plans and the reporting procedures followed by the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom.
In conclusion, Tuesday's sessions discussed in general the procedures taken by the Saudi MOH for protecting the pilgrims against the Coronavirus and reducing the spread of the other infectious diseases. They also mulled means of coordination and follow-up between the Ministry and medical missions.
The next day’s sessions will start with evaluating the first day's work and then the attendees will discuss the food poisoning during Hajj and the role of the Ministry and health sectors in preventing its occurrence. They will also discuss the plans and actions taken to exchange information about the medical tests. Besides, the discussion will focus on the Ebola disease and ways of preventing its occurrence during the Hajj season, in addition to many other important issues put up for discussion on the meeting’s agenda, which will contribute to maintaining the health of the Guests of Allah during their presence in the Kingdom for performance of Hajj.