ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Hajj mission has established a dedicated facility in the Saudi holy city of Madinah to provide free medical treatment to Pakistani pilgrims during the Hajj pilgrimage, the Pakistani religious affairs ministry said on Tuesday, promising to ensure the well-being of Pakistanis during the holy journey.
The facility has separate wards for men and women, a minor operation theatre, and a team of highly skilled doctors, nurses, and medical staff with all necessary healthcare equipment.
"We have established a hospital for pilgrims here in Madinah that provides 24-hour health services," said Dr Waleed, who is part of the Pakistani Hajj mission. "Here we have 24/7 emergency and ward retention facilities."
Doctors are present at the facility around the clock to treat patients for viral and seasonal infections as well as acute illnesses, according to the medic.
"We have retention facility, we have the OPD (Outpatient Department) facility here, and we have a dispensary also available, from where patients are provided free medicines," he said.
Pilgrims visiting the facility have expressed their satisfaction over the healthcare arrangements made by the Pakistani government in Madinah.
"They examined [me] very well, satisfactorily. [They] treated me well," a pilgrim said in a video message shared by the Pakistani religious affairs ministry.
"They asked me to return for [a follow-up] after two, three days."
The Hajj is an annual spiritual pilgrimage that each Muslim adult, male or female, is required to undertake at least once in their lifetime if they are financially capable and physically able to do so. The pilgrimage is undertaken during the month of Dhu Al-Hijjah.
This year, Saudi Arabia has restored Pakistan’s pre-pandemic Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims and waved off the upper age limit of 65. Around 80,000 Pakistani pilgrims are expected to perform the pilgrimage this year under the government scheme, while the rest will be facilitated by private tour operators, according to authorities.
On Tuesday, the first group of 773 Pakistani pilgrims reached Makkah from Madinah to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
More than 20,000 Pakistani pilgrims have so far arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage as the South Asian country continues its Hajj flight operation to the Kingdom, which began on May 21.
