Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Ghamdi, Director-General of the MOH Hospitals and Head of the Supervision Committee of Hospitals during Hajj, has conducted an inspection tour through the hospitals based in Makkah and the Holy Places in order to check on their workflow and ensure their readiness, as well as ascertaining the completion of the maintenance applied to medical equipment and the preparedness of the medical manpower involved in this Hajj season (doctors, nurses and technicians).
Dr. Al-Ghamdi stated that the greater part of the medical equipment of the Holy Places' hospital have been completely renovated. Also, a central control system for intensive care has been developed in all these hospitals, in addition to the introduction of digestive endoscopy and bronchial endoscopy as a new service provided in the hospitals of the Holy Sites for the first time. In addition, these hospitals have been supplied with new 27 hemodialysis (artificial kidney) devices for patients with renal failure. These devices are to be operated by renal specialists, under the supervision of a renal consultant.
As part of the Ministry's relentless efforts aiming to confront sunstrokes and heat exhaustion caused to exposure to high temperature during the performance of Hajj rites, Dr. Al-Ghamdi added, 12 devices for sunstroke devices have been distributed to the hospitals of Makkah and the Holy Places. Also, advanced vascular cooling devices have been introduced to be used in intensive care units when necessary.
Dr. Al-Ghamdi went on to say that all those involved in this year's Hajj season (both doctors and nurses) have undergone 8 training courses certified from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, at the rate of 30 hours of continual medical education for every course. Four hours have been organized in Mena Hospitals, and four in Arafat. These courses, he further explained, covered the common Hajj diseases and health problems, cardiac and vascular emergency, and respiratory emergency, as well as the skill required to read electrocardiographs (ECG).
In conclusion, Dr. Al-Ghamdi shed light on the 2500 brochures issued and disseminated by the Committee on the most common diseases and health problems during Hajj, and how to best handle such cases.