The Ministry of Health (MOH) continues to provide pilgrims with high-quality services, in terms of providing field medical services, carrying patients and on-site handling of potential emergencies – May Allah forbid, through an integrated fleet of various ambulances. 80 big hi-tech ambulances have been supplied by different health regions for this year’s Hajj season, to carry patients to health facilities across the holy sites, Makkah and Madinah, in addition to ambulances offered by Makkah Health Affairs. Furthermore, the holy sites have been provided with 100 small ambulances, which are equipped with the necessary medical appliances, in addition to an alarm system and radios to streamline communication and prompt access to cases and sites through the command center. These ambulances are supplemented with the needed manpower, including specialists and technicians who can handle field emergencies
These small ambulances will be distributed to health facilities across Hajj sites, in line with transporting pilgrims from Mina to Arafat, and the day of Nafrah - stampede - from Arafat to Mina through Muzdalifah. They will also cover highly crowded areas, the pedestrian walkway from Arafat to Mina and rest areas in Muzdalifah. The scope of ambulatory services will be determined for each healthcare center. Also, ambulances will be remotely monitored and controlled
It is worth mentioning that MOH has enhanced Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites in this year’s Hajj season with a number of hospitals and healthcare centers (featuring 25 hospitals and 155 healthcare centers with a 5,000-inpatient bed capacity), over 25,000 health practitioners, in addition to 18 medical points in Al-Mashaer Train (or Makkah Metro).