The Head of the Hajj Technical Supervision Committee (on hospitals and health centers), Dr. Abdulaziz bin Hamed Al-Ghamdi, said that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has conducted two studies during the pilgrimage season of this year.
The first study discussed the impact of temperature on health services, while the second study referred to the ways of treating sunstroke.
Within the same vein, Dr. Al-Ghamdi highlighted that the two studies have been conducted after 25 years from the last study made in this area; i.e. the last 4 studies that were conducted on sunstrokes.
Dr. Al-Ghamdi further noted that the MOH has focused within this year on expansion in providing treatment services in some specialties with the aim to reduce the mortality rate resulting from certain diseases, such as the expansion of the Cardiac Catheterization Program and cardiac surgeries at the King Abdullah Medical City in the Holy Capital as well as the other hospitals concerned with the pilgrimage affairs.
In addition, the MOH was keen to supply all Holy Sites' hospitals with endoscopes and dialysis machines. The CT scan devices are also available in the Mina Emergency Hospital, Mina Al-Wadi Hospital and the Eastern Arafat Hospital.
Moreover, Dr. Al-Ghamdi underscored that the MOH has introduced 34 dialysis machines into the Holy Sites' hospitals, adding that the Ministry is currently working to replace 33 health centers built of tents in the Holy Sites with other modern buildings, including 19 health centers in Mina and 14 centers in Arafat.
Speaking of the workforces in the 38 health centers established in the Holy Sites, Dr. Al-Ghamdi said that the Ministry has recruited 1362 employees to run these centers, including physicians, nurses, pharmaceutical technicians, and administrative supervisors.
Each health center comprises 3 to 6 physicians and 6 to 10 nurses.
Furthermore, Dr. Al-Ghamdi pointed out that 70% of those working in the health centers are Saudi nurses, and 10% of physicians are Saudis, noting that each health center is staffed by 6 physicians and 10 nurses.
In addition, Dr. Al-Ghamdi highlighted that the MOH has attracted a group of high-level consultants in different specialties to work in the health facilities, noting that the Committee has carried out a number of field trips to ensure the readiness of health facilities, in addition to launching other 8 training sessions for the workforces in the Holy Sites' hospitals, during which 2500 handbooks were distributed to the health practitioners.
In the same context, Dr. Al-Ghamdi affirmed that the Ministry has supplied the health centers with 50 ambulances for the first time in order to provide the various emergency services.
Dr. Al-Ghamdi further stated that the Holy Sites' health centers comprise 4 to 8 clinics with different areas, in addition to other observation rooms (one room for men and another room for women) in order to receive the emergency and critical cases, treat them, and refer them to other hospitals, if needed.
The health centers include also bandage rooms, a room for men and another for women, to handle the mild cases and dress the wounds.
In addition, the health centers include rooms for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and a pharmacy that includes emergency drugs and medications for acute and chronic diseases. Dr. Al-Ghamdi added that the health centers provide first aid services and treat acute, infectious, and chronic diseases.
In conclusion, Dr. Al-Ghamdi referred to formation of 5 teams affiliating to the Hajj Technical Supervision Committee (on hospitals and health centers), noting that each team is led by a physician with a target of supervising and following up all the Holy Sites' health centers in order to make sure that they are ready to receive cases.
Dr. Al-Ghamdi added that such teams are paying daily visits to hospitals and health centers.