The Supervisor General of the Hajj and Umrah Health Services, Dr. Hussein bin Abdullah Al-Ghannam, said in a press conference held the day before yesterday at the meeting hall of Mina Emergency Hospital, that His Excellency the Acting Minister of Health, Eng. Adel bin Mohamed Faqih, gave his directions, this year, to operate the airstrips on the hospitals of East Arafat, Arafat General Hospital, and Mina Emergency Hospital so as to benefit from the services provided by the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, which confirmed its readiness to transport the emergency cases from the Holy Sites' hospitals to Makkah on a daily basis.
He pointed out that the Ministry assigned this year more than 22.000 male and female employees (60% of whom are Saudis), including physicians, nurses, technicians and administrative officials, to serve pilgrims. In addition, he mentioned that the Ministry has recruited 750 physicians and nurses in the emergency, anesthesia and Intensive Care (IC) specialties, working in the health sectors of the Kingdom within the cooperation program between all the sectors. "MOH participates in this year's Hajj with a number of 8 hospitals and 94 health centers distributed among the Holy Sites to provide free-of-charge health services at all levels, in addition to King Abdullah Hospital, which provides specialized health services for pilgrims," he elaborated.
He added that MOH prepared this year 25 hospitals: 4 hospitals in Arafat, 4 in Mina, 7 in the Holy Capital (Makkah), and 9 hospitals in Madinah, as well as King Abdullah Medical City. The number of beds allocated for the Hajj areas amounts to 5250 (including 4200 clinical beds for the various inpatient sections, 500 ICU beds, and 550 emergency beds). In addition to this, permanent and seasonal health centers have been operated in the Hajj areas: 43 health centers in the Holy Capital, 80 in the Holy Sites, 46 in Arafat, 6 centers along the walkways in Muzdalifah, 26 in Mina, 20 in Madinah and, 16 emergency health centers along the Jamaraat Bridge.
In the same vein, he noted that MOH has been very keen this year to provide 15 health centers with consultants in emergency and infection control specialties, including King Abdul-Aziz Airport in Jeddah, and Prince Mohamed bin Abdul-Aziz Airport in Madinah, so as to closely follow up the cases to relieve pressure on hospitals. “In addition,” he added, “the Ministry has expanded the programs of cardiac catheterization and heart surgeries at the King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC) in the Holy Capital and Hajj areas hospitals, besides developing and improving services provided in the ICU units of the hospitals of the Hajj areas, as well as providing endoscopy and dialysis devices at all Holy Sites' hospitals.”
Further, he emphasized that the hospitals of the Holy Sites were constructed according to the highest specifications and quality, although they are meant to work for a relatively limited number of hours or days, in a manner which ensure providing safe and high-quality health services in the various specialties.
Concluding, he said, “This year, 80 big ambulances (55 in the Holy Sites and Makkah, and 25 in Medina) have been provided, besides operating 100 small ambulances in the Holy Sites. They are mobile intensive care units equipped with the medical supplies necessary to undertake their assigned roles.” He added that these ambulances have provided their field medical services for more than 17.000 pilgrims during the last Hajj season.