At the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and his Royal Highness the Crown Prince, May Allah protect them, towards providing the best medical services for pilgrims; with the aim of enabling them to perform their Hajj rituals smoothly and easily, the State provided all the sophisticated capabilities. Represented by the Ministry of Health (MOH), the State has taken a host of precautionary steps, preventive measures and technical and technological preparations in preparation for the Hajj season. This in turn resulted in keeping pilgrims healthy and safe, May Allah be praised.
Based upon the field survey results, and having viewed the reports of the health committees, it pleases me to announce the decision that the health committee has come up with: this year’s Hajj season (1435H/2014) has proven safe and free of epidemic and quarantine diseases.
But for Almighty Allah’s guidance in the first place, and our Rulers’ support, not to forget the ongoing follow-up of the Supreme Hajj Committee, Central Hajj Committee and determination and hard work of the medical, technical and administrative calibers in the Hajj Sites, all these efforts would not have borne fruit. Following are the major actions taken in the 1435-Hajj season:
First: the MOH has mobilized more than 24800 medical, technical and administrative as part of the health services system. Such services included 25 hospitals with a total bed capacity amounted to 5250 ones. Among these are 550 intensive care beds and 550 emergency beds. In addition this, there are 141 health centers, 16 emergency health centers in Al jamaraat area, an advanced ambulance center in al Haram al-Makki (Meccan Sanctuary) and 18 medical points at either side of the Haramain Train stations.
Second: applying the health requirements to all the Hajj performers arriving in the Kingdom, and this aims at reducing the chances of having arrivals suffering from epidemic diseases. Similarly, early epidemiological monitoring work has been intensified through 15 health monitoring centers, distributed among the land, sea and air ports. There, the medical crews gave vaccines and preventive treatment for more than 690 thousands against meningitis and poliomyelitis.
Third: in coordination with the MOH and bodies concerned, the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques banned granting the Hajj and Umrah visas for those coming from a number of the West African states at the back of Ebola breaking out in them.
Fourth: through the early surveillance system and reporting the suspected epidemiological cases, the MOH Command and Control Center raised the response rates within the health facilities in the face of the health emergency cases.
Fifth: the work of the epidemiological investigation and environmental health teams has been intensified for monitoring the food and water to avert any food-poisoning cases, Allah forbids. In a similar fashion, the health awareness programs, launched in eight languages, have been activated, as well as applying strict mechanisms for implementing the infection control policies, formulated in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, in the Holy Sites’ health facilities, Makkah and Madinah.
Sixth: the devices in the Holy Sites’ health facilities and Makkah have been updated, as well as increasing the accommodation capacity of the intensive care services. Similarly, the hospitals have been provided with the health isolation rooms by an increase of 40 percent than the last season. Further, a mobile laboratory has been provided, laboratory devices and blood banks have been updated and therapeutic services, such as cardiac sections and dialysis services, have been developed, as well as steadily maintaining all the health facilities.
Seventh: the field medicine paramedics in the Holy sites have been supported with a fleet made up of 180 vehicles of different sizes. They are equipped with intensive care devices, and they are manned by specialized medical crews. Also, the vehicle tracking system via the Global Positioning System (GPS) have been used for swiftly directing the ambulances to the sick Hajj performers on the spot.
Eighth: the e-health system has been advanced in all the health facilities of the Hajj areas, and the Command and Control room in the Mina Emergency Hospital has been updated. This aims at following up and monitoring the work flow around the clock in all the health facilities, and managing the officials to swiftly take decisions.
Ninth, the MOH has activated the joint cooperation with the WHO, other specialized world organizations and think tanks to prepare for this Hajj season, and for making this Hajj season safe and free of epidemics.
Tenth: the close, ongoing coordination is to continue between the MOH and health sectors taking part in the Hajj season represented by the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of National Guards, Ministry of Interior and Saudi Red Crescent Authority in order for the healthcare services system of the Hajj season to be fully fledged and distinctive for serving the Hajj performers. Still, coordination is to be on with the rest bodies participating, embodied by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Hajj, Ministry of Information and the other governmental bodies for their important role in that field.
According to the reports and health statistics, since the beginning of the Hajj season to date, the MOH‘s facilities many services for more than 472000 Hajj performers, to name only few:
- The health centers received more than 329 Hajj performers.
- The outpatient clinics in the hospitals received over 111 thousand Hajj performers.
- Over 28 thousand Hajj performers visited the emergency sections of the hospitals.
The inpatients reached up to more than 37010 Hajj performers.
More than 16 thousand Hajj performers were treated by the emergency and field medicine teams.
The MOH provided 19 thousand blood units and its products with all groups included.
The Hajj season also saw conducting:
- 19 open-heart operations
- 330 cardiac catheterization procedures
- 988 dialysis sessions
- 55 gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures
To wrap up, I pray Allah, the Almighty, to protect the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Heir Apparent, and to perpetuate for this country its security, stability and prosperity. Also, I thank Allah for granting me and my colleague the honor of delivering the preventive, therapeutic, ambulatory and educational services to the Hajj performers. Similarly, I pray Allah, the Almighty, to accept the Hajj performers’ Hajj rituals, and to return to their country healthy and fit; May Allah accept their pilgrimage and forgive your sins, the Hearer of all and the Responsive.
Thank you for your attendance and support all the season along, and peace be upon you, Allah’s mercy and blessings