The Ministry of Health (MOH), in partnership with the Saudi Academy of Health Volunteering (SAHV), has launched the Diabetic Foot Care Initiative under the theme: «Foot Health ... Hajj Safety» during the 1443H.-Hajj season.
“Some pilgrims travel long distances between the Holy Sites on foot; which may cause sores and wounds in their feet, leading to major health complications. The initiative came from this point of view; in response to such cases,” stated MOH.
MOH added that the initiative is being implemented under the supervision of a foot and ankle specialty team to reduce the occurrence of foot and leg injuries and ulcers among pilgrims, and to evaluate such cases for reducing amputation cases, may Allah forbid. Also, this initiate aims at raising awareness among pilgrims about the importance of foot care, targeting volunteers trained on how to assess and care with injuries and ulcers that may affect pilgrims’ feet, through a training program approved by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS).
It is worth mentioning that the program has been prepared under the supervision of a consultant foot and ankle surgeon. After training, evaluation, and making sure of the volunteers’ readiness, they are disseminated over the Holy Sites in form of walking teams, with a supervisor for each team, having bags equipped with all necessary medical supplies for avoiding injury in the future. If the patient pilgrim needs to be referred to a specialized hospital, the team supervisors will coordinate with the Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA) to refer the patient to hospitals and HCCs to receive proper healthcare.