Dr. Tarek bin Salem Ala'arnous, the Director-General of the MOH Health Emergency General Department, and the Head of the Hajj Emergency and Field Medicine Committee affirmed that the medical teams in charge of the small ambulances, numbering 90 teams, tackled 5702 cases as of the eighth of Dhu al-Hijjah till the end of the Day of Arafat, meaning that 103 cases were transported to the Holy Sites' hospitals, and 5670 cases were received treatment on the spot.
All the same, he went on to add that the medical teams, during the eighth day, dealt with three cases: a heart attack patient and two coma cases, five passing out cases, 84 bronchial asthma cases, 20164 normal cases, seven bleeding cases, and 91 heat stress cases. This aggregates to 2356 cases.
As regards the statistics of the Day of Arafat, he noted that "we reported 15 falling cases, 15 burn cases, ten heart attack patients, 12 coma patients, 16 conscious-losing cases, 110 bronchial asthma cases, 2935 normal patients, 16 bleeding cases, 160 heat stress patients. This brings the total up to 3289 cases.
As far as the medical points along the Holy Sites' train are concerned, he made clear that during the ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, it was reportedfive falling cases, 13 blacking out cases, three bronchial asthma cases, 27 normal patients, one bleeding case, four heat stress cases, four sliding cases, aggregating to 57 cases. He emphasized that these teams hold the distinction of the ability to tackle all the medical emergency cases and take the pithy decisions in all the circumstances requiring swift intervention.
He further highlighted the directives of the Minister of Health which stress on the importance of raising the quality level of the ambulanceservices provided for the Hajj performers in a manner that parallels with the highest levels worldly recognized. This in turn helps reduce the number of the cases transported to the hospitals and finish their treatment on the spot.
He drew the attention to the fact that the small ambulances are provided with the latest equipment necessary for attending to the critical cases such as cardiac monitoring devices, electric shock devices, and artificial respiratory devices.
These ambulances are linked to the Operations Room in the Alma'aism Emergency Complex via wireless communication devices, to the effect that the Room is staffed with a seasoned technical team directing the ambulances to their targets in the shortest and quickest ways.
He concluded his statement adding that "the medical field ambulance services provided by the medical teams working around the o'clock at the small ambulances for all the Hajj performers in the Holy Sites, and accompany them during their moving from Arafat to Muzdalifah; to stay with them in Mina on the Day of Sacrifice andthe three Days of Tashriq act as excellent care units treating patients and the injured, and can reach them in the heavily-crowded areas.
This is instrumental in reducing complications and maintaining their lives, Allah willing."