The Ministry of Health (MOH) has launched a mobile-based application enabling pilgrims to have access to the important health-related information and resources while performing the Hajj rituals. Pilgrims using Android-powered smartphones have to search about for the "MOH Hajj App" and download it from Google Play.
The application includes daily health alerts, location of the nearest healthcare facilities in Makkah, Madinah, the Holy Sites, useful contact details, tips on dealing with the basic health diseases, and practical health tips. It also involves tips on how to make emergency calls for getting the medical assistance. Further, it also comprises a live Twitter-based brief that will focus on providing real-time health-related tips by the MOH.
Additionally, the application provides its users with additional information on the symptoms of common diseases, tips on what to do if one develops such symptoms and when to seek medical assistance. It also provides guidelines on what to do if a fellow pilgrim contracts an infectious disease.
Within the same vein, Dr. Anees Sindi, Deputy Head of the Command and Control Center at the Ministry of Health, pointed out that “the recent cases of MERS-CoV that appeared in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ebola virus emergence in other places have made travelers worried about catching these viruses.” He went on to add, “However, the Ministry of Health is committed to reassuring those travelling to and within the Kingdom by providing fact-based information about infectious diseases. And, it encourages all those travelling to perform Hajj this year to make use of the new mobile-based application launched by the MOH.”
Other programs implemented by MOH to protect the health of citizens and pilgrims are:
- Imposing travel restrictions on the countries affected by the Ebola virus.
- Designating three distinctive centers for containing and treating the infectious diseases.
- Launching awareness and educational programs focusing on infectious disease control among the public and healthcare workers.
- Introducing emergency response infrastructure including the MOH-related Command & Control Center in Jeddah and multiple mobile laboratories in Makkah and Madinah.