The medical team of the Emergency Committee started its activities at the Emergency Complex of the Holy Places on 20 Dhu al-Qedah 1433H, preparing 80 small ambulances and 55 big ones for service at Arafat, Mena and Muzdalifah.
The team, headed by Dr. Tariq Bin Salim Al-Arnoos, Director General of the MOH Emergency Department, and the Committee's Chairman, brings together 105 doctors and 242 nurses.
The ambulances move with pilgrims to provide immediate and urgent services and transfer serious cases to hospitals in the holy places. Additional 25 big and small ambulances serve pilgrims at Medina.
Al-Arnoos said the medical teams of all specialists were selected nationwide according to professional standards. They were trained over the past months and before coming to the Complex at Maesam. They attended basic and advanced courses on cardiopulmonary resuscitation devices at their work, in association with the Central Committee of the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and the Planning and Training department at the ministry.
Al-Arnoos said the small ambulances are equipped with intensive care units and high-tech devices. They include artificial respiration and cardiopulmonary resuscitation devices and vital functions monitors. They also are provided with all medicines and medical supplies used in the treatment of urgent cases. The ambulances are directed through a wireless network and linked to all control chambers and main processes at the Maesam emergency complex.
The ambulances are managed by qualified emergency doctors and technicians. The locations of such vehicles are spotted by the Global Positioning System (GPS) to facilitate their arrival and guide them to the shortest routes to hospitals or health centers.
Dr. Al-Arnoos added that upon arrival of all commission emergency members and field medical team to Maesam Emergency Complex, the commission program raised the efficiency of the medical teams via intensive training courses. Medical teams are instructed about the directions to the holy places in the beginning of the rituals.
The medical teams currently take part in mock experiments. They coordinate with the emergency teams at the Holy Capital and other relevant parties to raise the readiness and coordination levels among field teams in Mecca and the holy places.
The Maesam Emergency Complex has 13 high-tech-big ambulances managed by efficient, qualified teams. The vehicles are equipped for rapid support to other teams if necessary. Other 42 big ambulances were assigned to hospitals around the holy places to support the teams of such hospitals.
When pilgrims move to the holy places, all small ambulances are stationed in certain sites, directed and supervised by qualified and efficient field teams of motorcyclists, which provide easy and speedy help to solve any problem that could face the medical teams onboard such ambulances.
Four emergency centers have been established at the Holy Haram, including 24 field teams and supervised by eight doctors round the clock under the supervision of the Mecca emergency department.
The staff at emergency centers on Jamarat Bridge is complete now. 17 well-equipped health centers are being managed by 12 teams and supervised by four field members round the clock.
Plans of the holy places stations are set up to evacuate patients to health centers and hospitals and ensure the readiness of emergency departments at the hospitals of Mecca and the holy places.
All staves are trained on emergency plans and medical evacuation in disasters. A thorough check of all safety procedures at hospitals relating to emergency exits and smoke/heat detectors, firefighting and alarms— has been conducted.
The plan of medical evacuation in pilgrimage has been updated in coordination with the Civil Defense Department, the Secretariat of the Holy City and relevant bodies. Emergency plans have been explained for the treatment of cases in floods and earthquakes, rock drifts on Arafat and the Valley of Mena. Workers are trained on these issues.
All medical teams are informed about the plan of the Ministry of Health regarding pilgrims' travel from Arafat to Al-Muzdalifah wherein healthcare shall be ensured.
A technical team also inspected the heliports at Arafat General Hospital, Al-Noor Hospital, Hiraa Hospital, Emergency Hospital in Mena and King Abdullah Medical City, ensuring they are ready for a mock patient evacuation drill.
In the 1432 pilgrimage season, the working teams onboard ambulances treated over 16,000 cases onsite and up to 2500 cases were transferred to hospitals.