Saudi hajj ministry implements seasonal plan to serve pilgrims

All facilities to be served to pilgrims through many health utilities

Ministry of commerce and industry completes preparations to provide pilgrims with foodstuffs, supplies

Prince Majed bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Madinah region, patronized in Madinah a ceremony organized to mark the end of the program of partnership management for Hajj operations in the presence of Minister of Hajj Dr. Fouad al-Farsi.

The program included seminars, lectures and workshops.

Later, Prince Abdulaziz bin Majed launched the project of electronic guidance for missing pilgrims.

Through the project it will be possible to get acquainted with the addresses of the missing pilgrims through satellites using the technology of GBS. This will take place under the patronage of the Hajj committee in coordination with the Municipality of Madinah region and the guides' establishment.

Speaking on the occasion, Prince Abdulaziz bin Majed said all the required arrangements have been made for the reception of the pilgrims and providing them with the best possible services.

He noted that the Saudi Leadership is keen on exerting intensive efforts to extend all possible facilities to the guests of God.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Majed pointed out that the Royal approval has been issued for making Madinah region a Hajj region like Makkah and the Holy Places.

Moreover, he said the approval of the Minister of Interior and head of the Hajj higher committee has been issued for the organization of the program of management of partnership in Hajj operations under the motto of 'Binyan'.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Majed underlined the importance of the role of the field workers during the Hajj season as well as their role in carrying out the plans and projects.

The function was attended by Deputy President of the affairs of the Prophet Mosque Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Falih and a number of officials.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Majed bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Madinah region and Head of the Hajj committee in Madinah region, chaired the Committee's meeting.

Participants in the meeting reviewed the daily reports submitted by various administrations on the services being extended to the pilgrims and visitors of the Prophet's Mosque.

Meanwhile, secretary of the Hajj committee in Madinah Mohammed bin Mustafa al-Noman said the number of the pilgrims who arrived in Madinah up to yesterday amounted to 386, 445, while the number of the pilgrims who left Madinah accounted for 144,450.

Health Minister Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Manea said that the ministry has completed all preventive, curative and emergency preparations to receive pilgrims in implementation of directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Dr. Hamad said that the ministry provided 138 health centers and 24 hospitals with 3,939 beds and health services for pilgrims. The ministry provided 14,000 units of blood and its products.

The Ministry of Health hired 100 doctors from Pakistan and Jordan and 247 nurses from Malaysia.

Regarding the preventive medicine, Dr. Hamad said t that the ministry globally monitors the epidemiological situation and develops the necessary health requirements and instructions in addition to spreading health awareness among pilgrims. The ministry also increased the preventive actions at the ports, he added.

Dr. Hamad also said that all needs of medical equipment and supplies and medicines were secured in Makkah and the holy sites. He pointed out that the ministry has discussed all disadvantages that emerged during the Hajj season last year and carried out many development projects at the holy sites.

He stressed that attention was focusing on contingency plans as well as addressing congestion and stampedes over Jamarat Bridge in addition to emergency evacuation plans.

Dr. Hamad said that efforts to raise awareness among pilgrims should continue during Hajj season through all health facilities at the holy sites, pointing out that Pilgrims Service has been activated on 8002494444 through which all inquiries about performing Hajj are answered around the clock.

Over 6,000 employees will be mobilized as the General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs starts putting into action its plan for the Hajj season.

The employees, 756 of whom are on the Presidency payroll while the rest are seasonal workers, will help implement arrangements for pilgrims to carry out pilgrimage rituals in safety and comfort.

Scouts are also offering their services to help the pilgrimage run smoothly.

The Educational Zone in Namas is currently training 50 scouts in ambulance services, first aid, and ways to deal with pilgrims. The scouts are also being trained in map reading to guide lost pilgrims, the Arabic daily "OKAZ" reported.

The Minister of Health Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Mane said that Ministry of Health (MOH ) expends about 100 million Saudi Riyals yearly on providing health care to pilgrims. He said all preparations have been accomplished for the coming Hajj season, including manpower, health facilities, and medicines.

Al-Mane, who was speaking during a press conference held in presence of the heads of Hajj committees, revealed that health care is provided to pilgrims through 24 hospitals in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and the sacred shrines with an overall bed capacity exceeding 4000 beds. Moreover, a total of 124 primary health care centers and 150 highly equipped ambulances are carefully distributed throughout the sacred shrines.

"We are striving to maintain the high quality of the services provided during the last season and, therefore, mobilized above 10 thousand people for the current season, including physicians, technicians, and supporting staff", he said.

According to Al-Mane, MOH has recruited 100 physicians from Pakistan and Jordan, in addition to 247 female nurses from Malaysia.

As for the precautions taken for confronting epidemic diseases, he said MOH is carefully monitoring epidemic diseases in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO). "We are aware that some epidemic diseases, such as cholera and yellow fever, are endemic in some African countries", he said. "We follow the guidelines we receive from WHO for such cases", he added.

He said MOH has set comprehensive plans for controlling the entry of epidemic and microscopic diseases which are subject to the health regulations of the World Health Organization. "Vaccines are available at the different openings and the source countries are provided with drugs", he said.

He said MOH Hajj plan has been set to prevent outspreading of epidemic and contagious diseases, whether during Hajj days or afterwards. "MOH applies the health terms on all pilgrims coming from abroad", he said. "All of them are subjected to careful checkups at the openings for making sure they are not affected by epidemic or contagious diseases", he said.

He said MOH concentrates also on a highly equipped emergency plan for confronting any emergencies when pilgrims flock to the Holy Mosque after accomplishing Jamarat rituals.

"MOH has studied carefully the shortcomings of the last Hajj season", he said. "A number of rehabilitation and new projects have been implemented at the different Hajj locations, with special concentration on the sacred shrines".

Dr. Al-Mane valued greatly the efforts of female personnel working within the Hajj teams, notifying that they have proved to be highly dedicated and competent.

The Ministry of Health plays a principal role in extending Hajj services. More than two million pilgrims assemble at various Hajj sites. Despite their different nationalities and backgrounds they are equal before Allah Almighty on this great Hajj occasion. The Ministry of Health is responsible for following up their health condition during Hajj season. The following measures help to achieve this end:

a) Stipulating the health conditions that should be satisfied by pilgrims and the type of food they are allowed to carry. Their countries and the World Health Organization are informed of these conditions, which may require the inoculation of all or some of the pilgrims against certain diseases and the presentation of inoculation certificates at entry points.

b) Coordination with the Municipalities of the Holy Capital and Al Madinah Al Munawwarah as well as the Water and Sewage Departments to appoint supervision teams to inspect environment and general hygiene at the Hajj sites. They also supervise water sources, sewage drainage and efforts aimed at combating insects.

c) The implementation of wide-scale health education programs in pilgrims' countries and at Hajj sites. The programs deal with health precautions to be taken, particularly in case of sunstrokes and contagious diseases. Prevention methods are also highlighted.

d) Early in Shaaban every year, the Ministry of Health launches disease prevention campaigns, including the inoculation of personnel at Hajj sites. More than thirteen epidemic investigation teams are operating in hospitals, primary health care centers, various Hajj sites and the two Holy Cities.

e) The implementation of intensive multi-language education programs to explain to pilgrims how to avoid diseases and how to react in case of illness, particularly sunstrokes and heat exhaustion.

f) Organization of tours by the Ministry's environment sanitation teams to regularly inspect food stores, drinking water sources and pilgrim residences to verify the application of the specified conditions. And ensure the spraying of insecticides and removal of garbage.

There are numerous health centers in the Two Holy Cities and the Holy Shrines. Some of these centers offer their medical services throughout the year whereas others operate only during Hajj seasons. All these centers receive and treat patients.

There are 294 centers, including:

- 42 Primary Health Care Centers in Arafat.

- 30 Primary Health Care Centers in Mina.

- 7 Primary health Care Centers in Muzdalifah. Each of these centers contains 16 beds for receiving heat exhaustion cases.

- 27 Permanent Primary health Care Centers in Makkah Al-Mukarramah.

- 45 Seasonal Primary Health Care Centers at the inlets of the Holy Capital, the Al-Hijrah Road and Land Pilgrims parking areas.

- 38 Supporting Health Units in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah devoted to the pilgrims, five of which are inside the Prophet's Mosque.

- 133 Health Centers in various parts of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and land routes leading to it.

- 5 Primary Health Care Centers inside the Holy Mosque.

- 84 Seasonal Primary Health Care Centers in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, five of which are surrounding the Al Jamarat flyover bridge.

The Ministry of Health has established 21 hospitals with 7,000-bed capacity to serve and provide health care to pilgrims.

There are hospitals, ambulances and other centers specializing in the treatment of sunstrokes and heat exhaustion in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and the Holy Shrines. Makkah Al-Mukarramah has seven hospitals with a total capacity of 3,173 beds.

There are several hospitals in the Holy Shrines containing specialized outpatient clinics, ambulance units and operations and admittance rooms in addition to special arrangements for treating sunstroke and heat exhaustion.

These hospitals include:

1- The 800-bed Arafat General Hospital, 24 beds for sunstroke patients, 130 beds for heat exhaustion patients.

2- The 30-bed Jabal Al Rahmah Hospital, 4 beds for sunstroke patients, 150 beds for heat exhaustion patients.

3- Arafat's Mobile Hospital (100) beds at the heat exhaustion center, 8 cooling units, 50 beds for admittance.

4- Mina General Hospital (350 beds).

5- King Abdulaziz Bridge Hospital in Mina (120 beds).

6- The 370- beds Namera Hospital, 8 beds for sunstroke and 71 beds for heat exhaustion.

7- The 130-beds Mina Al Wadi Hospital, 10 beds for Intensive Care Unit.

The following hospitals serve pilgrims in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah:

1- King Fahd Hospital (500 beds).

2- The Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital (500 beds).

3- Badr Charitable Hospital (216 beds).

4- Chest Diseases Hospital (120 beds).

5- Isolation Hospital (57 beds).

6- Common Diseases Hospital (200 beds).

7- Al Ansar Hospital (130 beds).

8- Al-Migat Hospital (120 beds).

9- Ohud Hospital (239 beds).

10- Madinatul Hujjaj Hospital (36 beds)

11- Al-Hanakiyah Hospital (68 beds).

12- Khaiber General Hospital (50beds).

The Central Hajj Committee held a meeting under the chairmanship of Prince Khalid al-Faisal, the Governor of Makkah region and the Head of the committee.

Speaking on the occasion, Prince Khalid underlined the importance of extending the best possible services and facilities to the pilgrims.

Mohammed al-Shaf'ei, the committee's secretary said the participants of the meeting had reviewed the arrangements made for the reception of the pilgrims including the plan of Jeddah municipality to improve the municipal services as well as the plan of the Hajj ministry to promote services being extended to the pilgrims.

They also reviewed the plan of the ministry for improving the transportation services for the pilgrims in addition to the measures undertaken by the ministry of commerce and industry to make the required commodities available at reasonable prices.

H.R.H Prince Abdul Majeed Bin Abdulaziz, Prince of Makkah region and Chief of Central Hajj Committee, visited recently Jeddah Islamic Port to inspect the progress of preparations done to provide the services and facilities necessary to the Hajj and visitors of the Holy Mosque who coming by sea. Prince Abdul Majeed Bin Abdulaziz was received by at the port by H.R.H. Prince Mash'al Bin Majeed Bin Abdulaziz, governor of Jeddah, Dr. Jobara Al-Soraisry, minister of transport and chief of Saudi Ports Authority (SPA), Saleh Al-Barrak, director general of customs, Abdullah Bin Daoud, under-secretary of Makkah principality, Hatem Kady, under-secretary of Hajj ministry, Saher Tahlawy, director general of Jeddah Port, some government senior officials and the security and administrative officers working at the port. Once arrived at the port, Prince Abdul Majeed headed for the port passenger berths to receive a group of the comers, congratulating and hoping them a safe arrival and an acceptable hajj. Prince Abdul Majeed gave some of them presents and souvenirs to the visitors.

Then Prince Abdul Majeed went to the passenger terminal at the port and saw the measures followed on receiving the Hajij. He visited the facilities at the terminal, about 60.000 sqm, including tow halls, one for arrival and the other for the departure, as well as the inspection sector fully equipped to finish the procedures for about 2500 passengers at once.

Prince Abdul Majeed visited the expansion project in the arrival hall the Prince laid its corner stone last year. The project has reached its final stages, and a new extension of 2.500 sqm has been added for waiting and completing the necessary procedures of entry.

Then, the Prince visited the Customs complex, listening to an explanation from the general director of Jeddah port about the role played by the complex in accelerating the custom inspection process and the clearing the containers and cargo by the radio inspection machines.

Prince Abdul Majeed raised the Saudi flag over the new ships, Jeddah 32 and Jeddah 33, added to the port to serve the customers of the global maritime routes.

In the end, the Prince praised, in a press conference, the great support paid by all the governmental and private sectors and establishments to provide the proper environment and a limitless enthusiasm to succeed the projects carried out by the Saudi citizens. The prince expressed his best wishes of success to all parties participating in promoting and developing the services of Hajij.

Prince Abdul Majeed welcomed the visitors of the Holy lands, hoping to perform their rituals in peace and easily and to return back to their countries safely. He showed that all the developments in Jeddah port are devoted to the Hajij and to serve the Saudi economical activities.