- Emergency medical teams cover all roads leading to Madinah, follow pilgrim convoys arriving or leaving the city
MADINAH: The Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA) in Madinah is implementing its field operational program to provide emergency and medical services for pilgrims and visitors at the Prophet’s Mosque and other locations frequented during this year’s Hajj season.
Khalid Al-Sahli, the official spokesman of the SRCA in Madinah, said that the authority began to implement its program in early July with about 60 emergency teams working per shift.
All emergency medical centers started covering all roads leading to Madinah, to follow pilgrim convoys arriving or leaving the city, while 12 healthcare teams with advanced equipment support the emergency work in Madinah to tend to all cases and incidents, he said.
He said that 1,000 female and male volunteers started work on Tuesday, within the program to serve pilgrims and visitors in Madinah during this year’s Hajj season.
They will perform their tasks mainly at the Prophet’s Mosque (in both men and women’s sections) and squares around it, and the volunteer teams will support emergency teams (based at the Prophet’s Mosque) during prayers and in peak hours at the Miqat Mosque while pilgrims depart to Makkah.
The authority’s training center continues to organize sessions and lectures about emergency care for members of government and private bodies working to serve pilgrims. Pilgrims are given flyers for emergencies and ways to use the “Asefni” (save me) application, available on all mobile phone systems in nine languages. People can also dial 997 for an ambulance.