According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), its plan for this year’s Hajj features further focus on diagnostic services to provide patients with all lab tests. Through its professional committees, MOH seeks to fully equip lab departments and blood banks with necessary lab supplies and appliances, to offer key lab diagnostic and emergency services in Makkah and holy sites to all pilgrims, to identify the lab needs of both Makkah and Madinah Health Affairs to secure them, and to determine the various manpower for this Hajj Season. MOH also seeks to develop plans to allocate such manpower as required, and to conduct field visits to all labs in Makkah and the holy sites to ensure their readiness, to resolve any difficulty to deliver perfect services to all pilgrims, while enhancing the holy sites’ labs with cutting-edge appliances when needed, operating lab devices, conducting regular maintenance, and putting in place the external quality control program in Makkah and the holy sites’ labs. MOH aims – thereby – to ensure their perfect readiness and accuracy of results delivered by lab subdivisions.
MOH will launch the screening program for bus drivers during Hajj to ensure non-use of banned drugs or stimulants.
“Molecular diagnostic labs in Makkah and Madinah will be supplied with all needs and appliances to detect pathogenic viruses, mainly those transmitted from animals and birds to humans, including MERS-CoV and A/H1N1, in addition to enhancing Poison Control and Forensic Chemistry Centers in Makkah and Madinah with necessary apparatus and operational needs.”, adds MOH.
Notably, MOH has prepared many hospitals and healthcare centers in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites. 25 hospitals have been geared up (4 in Arafat, 4 in Mina, 7 in Makkah, 9 in Madinah, as well as King Abdullah Medical City), with 5000 inpatient beds, including 500 for ICU and 550 for emergency), in addition to the Holy Mosque’s hospital for emergency cases. They are supplemented by 155 permanent and seasonal health centers across Hajj rites, including 43 health centers in Makkah, 78 in holy sites, (46 in Arafat, 6 in Muzdalifah pedestrian walkway, 26 in Mina), and 18 centers in Madinah.
MOH pursues its program 'Safe Surgery Saves Lives' (SSSL), which features providing free specialized healthcare services, including open-heart surgeries, Cardiac Cath, renal blood and peritoneal dialysis, alimentary endoscopy, obstetrical cases, in addition to other specialized services needed by pilgrim patients.