The Medical Supply Committee at the Ministry of Health (MOH) has finalized all its preparations for serving pilgrims during this year's Hajj season. The committee represents the MOH’s strong arm in the Holy Sites, with reference to its tasks, most notably: identifying the required quantities of medications and medical and laboratory supplies for pilgrims and working to secure them.
The committee has been working on following up supplying the different health sites, health centers and hospitals, with their needs for food supplies and providing the central and subsidiary warehouses with items, in addition to the general supervision of the site readiness in the Holy Sites, Makkah, and Madinah.
The committee has commenced its works of preparation and participation in this Hajj season through two tracks: The first one about the Medical Supply General Department at the MOH and the second one about the preparation committee at the medical supply department, Makkah region. The first track is being implemented through various phases: The first one, which has started immediately after completion of works during last year's Hajj season, is about assessment of the previous Hajj season's special reports to get acquainted with the points of strength and weakness and provision of special items for epidemics expected to spread during the current Hajj season, in accordance to directives from the competent authorities and meteorology department. It also included the supply items that were requested during the Hajj season but not listed in the MOH's competitions, in addition to securing the items not available in the MOH's competitions and authorizing the regions to support the Makkah region's medical supply department by mean of swapping.
The medical supply preparation committee in Makkah region has made ready the medical and laboratories supplies at Makkah medical supply department and medicines at Arafat's seasonal warehouse. The medicines are kept in large boxes and each box is marked with the site name, content, quantity and date of expiry. The 1500 boxes are well packaged on wooden pallets.
Also, the emergency complex in Muaisam has been equipped with around 120 small ambulances and 57 "sanad" vehicles used in field medicine, as well as providing the supply center warehouse at Arafat general hospital with drugs, solutions and medical supplies, in order to deal with support and emergency cases, from which items is dispensed to support all health centers and hospitals in Arafat. In addition to preparing a big refrigerated vehicle loaded with medical solutions, emergency drugs and medical supplies to deal with emergency cases, Allah forbids. The same case applies to the warehouse of the supply center at Mina Al-Wadi Hospital.
Regarding emergency vehicles, 3 refrigerated vehicles loaded with drugs, medical solutions, emergency drugs and medical supplies have been distributed to the shelter area, in addition to a refrigerated vehicle for Jamarat Bridge, and another one for AL haram area and a third big one for Arafat. The MOH also implemented this year a number of new health and developmental projects in the holy sites; to offer therapeutic services to pilgrims, in order to meet the aspirations of our rulers - May Allah protect them- to enable pilgrims to perform Hajj in ease and comfort.
The developmental projects include opening a gate and passage for the ambulances at Almuaism emergency complex, preparing pilgrims flocking site and improving the general site of a number of health centers. Also, sun stroke units were prepared for this year at the holy sites; they are equipped with sun stroke and heat stress devices, where water sprinkling fans were provided, along with places for treating heat stress in the MOH’s hospitals in the holy sites.
Furthermore, Hajj projects and engineering affairs committee is following up medical and non-medical maintenance works for the holy sites' hospitals to ensure their readiness to receive pilgrims, the matter which confirms the MOH's keenness that all health services (preventive, therapeutic and awareness) are available for pilgrims, by means of following up the progress of work and introducing developmental projects in hospitals and health centers during this year's Hajj season.