Health Ministry tips for Hajj well-being

The ministry advised asthma patients to consult a doctor. (AN photo by Bashir Saleh)

Muslim pilgrims walk in a street in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca on August 19, 2018, during the first day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP)

Muslim pilgrims use umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun as they walk in a street in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah on August 19, 2018, during the first day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP)

An elderly Muslim pilgrim walks with her daughter to their bus as they leave for the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018. (AP)

• Symptoms include shaking and giddiness, along with fatigue and exhaustion, a sudden feeling of hunger
• The ministry advised asthma patients to consult a doctor, adhere to taking medicines

The Health Ministry is providing awareness-raising instructions and tips for Hajj on its official website.
These instructions cover chronic diseases, such as advising heart and hypertension patients to see a doctor to make sure they can perform Hajj and carry the right medicines, and ensure that the medicines are properly preserved and consumed, especially during Tawaf which requires great physical effort.
The ministry called on pilgrims potentially at risk of angina pain to consult a doctor about holding sublingual nitroglycerin tablets and using a wheelchair during Tawaf and Sai whenever pilgrims feel exhaustion.
The health instructions also covered diabetics, stressing the need to wear a bracelet or hold an identification card enabling rapid identification of patients with diabetes, have the prescribed medicine, and bring a glucose meter to determine the glucose dose daily.
The ministry highlighted the importance of keeping insulin cool by storing it in a proper ice pack or refrigerator and the need to be given a glucagon injection (when doctors recommend it) in case diabetics are not able to eat or have lost consciousness.
The ministry also advised against performing Tawaf and Sai until after taking medication and eating, stressing the need to stop performing the rituals temporarily in the event of a hypoglycemic episode. Symptoms include shaking and giddiness, along with fatigue and exhaustion, a sudden feeling of hunger, excessive sweating or blurred vision.
The ministry advised asthma patients to consult a doctor, adhere to taking medicines, tablets and inhalers, avoid crowded places, wear a face mask, and consult the nearest health center in case of an asthma attack.
The instructions also covered epileptic patients. Epileptic patients vary in their needs; some can control their illness with medicine and are able to perform Hajj, while patients recently diagnosed with epilepsy are advised to postpone Hajj. Epileptic patients are advised to inform the convoy’s doctor, bring enough medicines, avoid excessive exhaustion and reactions and always be accompanied by friends or relatives during Hajj.