Saudi Health Ministry facilities ready for Hajj pilgrims

A Ministry of Health ambulance on standby for emergencies at a corner of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. (SPA file photo)

JEDDAH: The Health Ministry has prepared all its facilities to care for pilgrims throughout the current Hajj season.
On its Twitter account, the ministry said it has prepared 25 hospitals: Four in Arafat, four in Mina, seven in Makkah, nine in Madinah and one in King Abdullah Medical City.
The hospitals have a total of nearly 5,000 beds, including 500 in intensive care units (ICUs) and 500 for emergencies. The facilities will be supported by 155 permanent or seasonal medical centers.
The ministry has prepared medical facilities in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites to deal with heat stress and sunstroke by providing proper ventilation and water-spray fans, and increasing the number of beds.
As in previous Hajj seasons, the ministry is implementing the “save life” program, which provides free specialized health services including open heart surgery, cardiac catheterization, peritoneal and blood dialysis, gastrointestinal endoscopy, and birth.
The ministry has prepared a fleet of 100 small ambulances operating as mobile intensive care units to deal with emergencies, as well as 80 highly-equipped big ambulances.
The ministry has assigned nearly 29,000 medical practitioners for this Hajj season, and will follow the latest global health developments in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).
The ministry has issued health requirements for pilgrims via Saudi embassies and missions abroad, and has intensified health controls at entry points into the Kingdom.
Before the Hajj season, the ministry carries out a vaccination campaign against meningitis and flu for residents of Makkah and Madinah, and for participants in the Hajj program.