His Excellency the Minister of Health Eng. Khalid Al-Falih has chaired yesterday morning at the Ministry's headquarters the meeting of Hajj Preparatory Committees. Attended by members of such committees, the meeting reviewed the latest preparations of the Hajj committees participating in the Ministry's plan for this year's Hajj season (1436H), as well as the preparations of Makkah and Madinah regions.
The Supervisor-General of the Health Services for Hajj and Umrah General Department Dr. Hussein bin Abdullah Ghannam explained that the meeting discussed a number of topics on the agenda, affirming that such early preparations confirmed that the Ministry of Health (MOH) is endeavoring to be occupy a pioneering and distinctive position, meanwhile maintaining efficiency and effectiveness to ensure provision of therapeutic and preventive services for pilgrims, in addition to ensuring safety of Hajj and Umrah performers under supervision of experienced and well-qualified leaders.
He said that the Health Services for Hajj and Umrah General Department is coordinating with all committees in Makkah and Madinah and outlets in health affairs general directorates for preparing and coordinating all Hajj activities throughout the year, in addition to coordination with the Supreme Hajj Committee Secretariat at the Ministry of Interior as well as other related departments and sectors and government bodies.
Dr. Ghannam added that the MOH prepared last year 25 hospitals with a capacity of 5,000 beds, of which 500 beds were allocated for intensive care, operated health centers in Makkah and Madinah 24 hours a day, in addition to health centers in the holy sites and seasonal centers on highways, and provided 82 well-equipped ambulances to promote health services in Makkah and Madinah; that is to be added to other 100 small ambulances for field medicine as they were roaming over streets of Arafat and Mina for quick treatment of cases on site and transfer of other critical cases to health centers for hospitalization.
"Also," he said, "the MOH equipped the command and control room to follow up the number of beds in the ICUs and used and vacant inpatient beds, in addition to cases of infectious diseases and infection control. Such rooms were also meant to track ambulances transferring patients to hospitals, monitor emergency sections, and follow up all hospitals in Makkah, holy sites and Madinah and weather conditions."
It is noteworthy that the manpower, which participated in the last year's Hajj season, amounted to 24,840 participants; of whom 784 were visiting manpower. The operations conducted in the past year are as follows: 26 open-heart surgeries in all areas of Hajj, 383 cardiac catheterizations, 1,161 dialysis sessions, 10 delivery operations at the holy sites' hospitals and 73 endoscopies.