In continuation of the relentless efforts made by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to provide the best health services for the 'guests of Allah', the Holy Places' hospitals have proceeded their preparations for the reception of pilgrims.
On Thursday, 7/12/1432H (3/11/2011), outpatient clinics and emergency sections have been operated at full capacity in all Mina hospitals (Mina Emergency Hospital, Mina Bridge Hospital, Mina Al-Wadi Hospital and Mina Al-Shari' Al-Jadid Hospital). And it is projected that, by the morning of Friday, 8/12/1432H (4/11/2011), Arafat hospitals will be working in full swing, to be ready for receiving pilgrims in the Day of 'Arafah.
The MOH Operational Plan places emphasis on the expansion of providing curative service and supporting hospitals with advanced medical equipment and proficient staff to successfully handle most cases, as well as the expansion of the cardiac catheterization program and open heart surgeries in Hajj sites, in addition to the development and improvement of intensive care services by using advanced appliances, along with the provision of digestive endoscopy and dialysis devices in all the hospitals spread out in the Holy Places, to offer the proper curative services without the need for referral to other hospitals.
The Mina hospitals accommodate 550 beds, out of which 103 beds are for intensive care units, and 108 beds to be used in emergency sections. Mina Emergency Hospital accommodates 190 beds, covering all specialties: 34 intensive care beds and 24 emergency beds. Mina Bridge Hospital, on the other hand, accommodates 150 beds: 28 intensive care beds and 36 emergency beds.
Turning to Mina al-Wadi Hospital, we shall find that it covers all medical specialties, at it accommodates 160 beds, out of which 25 beds are for intensive care, and 30 beds are for emergency. Whereas Mina Al-Shari' Al-Jadid Hospital is of a total capacity of 50 beds: 16 beds for intensive care, and 18 beds for Emergency.
During this Hajj season, the Ministry of Health takes as its priority supporting these hospitals with advanced medical equipment in all specialties, so as to provide the best medical services for the 'guests of Allah'. This has to do with the renovation of laboratories, blood banks and radiology centers, which are staffed by proficient manpower, highly trained to work under pressure (evidently manifested in the provision of high-quality health services for massively large numbers of patients during Hajj).
In this spirit, the Ministry of Health has supplied the hospitals of the Holy Places with 12 'Makkah' vascular cooling devices for the treatment of sunstrokes, as well as 10 advanced devices to be used in intensive care units for the treatment of excessive high temperature.
Furthermore, the Minister has assigned 175 medical teams to the provision of ambulatory services. They are distributed to the ambulances serving in the Holy Places (80 small ambulances to function as portable intensive care units, and 95 big ambulances to transmit patients among the hospitals and health care of Makkah and the Holy Places). These medical teams are staffed by 350 doctors and technicians, working around the clock. It is largely believed that theses medical teams are very skillful and proficient at handling all emergency cases and making the right decision in critical circumstances.
In addition to the four hospital of Mina, there are also 28 health centers, expected to be set to work in the morning of Friday, 8/12/1432H (4/11/2011), for the purpose of providing primary and awareness healthcare services around the clock.
Furthermore, the manpower of Mina hospitals have been supported with a number health staff (from within and without the Kingdom), to help with the rare medical specialties such as intensive care, emergency, sterilization, as well as the nursing of theses specialties. In this context, the Ministry has assigned to work in these hospitals a number of 441 doctors, consultants and technicians, out of which 125 are intensive care and emergency nurses.