The Director-General of the MOH Health Emergency General Department, and the Head of the Emergency and Field Medicine Committee of this year's Hajj season 1434h, Dr. Tarek bin Salem Ala'arnous affirmed that the Emergency an Field Medicine Committee finished all its preparation aiming at carrying out an integrated plan for tackling the ambulatory and emergency medical cases, crowd accidents, torrential rains and fire risks in the different places where the Hajj performers exist.
He noted that "this year, the Ministry of Health (MOH) launched 50 small, new ambulances highly-equipped with the latest medical devices, bringing the total number of the small ambulances to 90 new ones.
They act as mobile intensive care dealing with the ambulatory emergency field cases, as well as 55 big ambulances distributed to the hospitals and health centers in the holy capital and the Holy Sites."
He went on to point out that it is projected that more than 17 thousand cases are to be treated in this year's Hajj from the eighth to the thirteenth of Dhu al-Hijjah through the equipped ambulances and their medical crew.
Meanwhile, the medical teams tackled more than sixteen thousand cases in Hajj season 1434h, along with transporting the cases in need of specialized therapeutic intervention to the hospitals of the Holy Capital and the Holy Sites.
He went on to add that 18 field medical teams were prepared in order to work at the health emergency points at the stations of the Holy Sites train. The points where these teams are positioned were deliveredby the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
They were equipped with the latest medical devices in order to tackle any emergency case occurring to those boarding the train. All the more, he added that coordination were made with the Saudi Red CrescentAuthority to the effect that any emergency case requires completing treatment in hospital is to be transported.
Within the same vein, he made clear that the Emergency and Field Medicine Committee, this year, is made up of 496 physicians, nurses, and ambulance technicians set to work at the ambulances and health emergency points at the stations of the Holy Sites train.
They all started work in Mai'asm since the twentieth of Dhu al-Qa'dah.
To that effect, they were subjected to intensive training courses on tackling emergency cases, positioning in the specified locations, dealing with the modern medical devices helping them in serving the Hajj performers, training on the devices helping in communicating with Command and Control Room, and location-pinpointing devices.
He went on adding that "the Ministry of Health (MOH) provided for the ambulance medical teams wireless communication means and location-pinpointing devices: GPS; with the aim of easily and quickly communicating and directing ambulances to the locations where the cases exist.
This is through slim 900 control room highly equipped, tracking the ambulances in the field, and providing them with enough information; to get to the cases swiftly and shortly.
To that effect, a report including the road condition and the nearest health facility that can receive the cases in need of therapeutic intervention is made."
Similarly, he emphasized that the field medical teams are to be positioned from the tenth to the thirteenth of Dhu al-Hijjah at either side of the Jamaraat Bridge and the main roads leading to it.
He further made clear that the medical teams are fully ready for tackling heat stress and sunstroke cases in the field as they are provided with the medical means to that effect.
He finally affirmed that coordination was made with the Saudi Red Crescent Authority to draw on the air ambulance service provided by the Authority for three years.
Meanwhile, airstrips were prepared at Al-Noor Hospital, Arafat General Hospital, Mina Emergency Hospital, and East Arafat hospital, as well as the King Abdullah Medical City in the Holy Capital.
In addition to this, the airstrip of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Arafat was turned into account; in order to transport the critical cases through the medical evacuation for the Holy Capital's hospitals or the other hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.