JEDDAH, 29 December 2004 — A Pakistani Haj medical mission led by Commanding Officer Dr. Col. Abdul Qadir has arrived in Makkah.
The mission includes 120 doctors and 177 nurses and paramedical staff. Five homoeopaths and five hakeem (practitioners of traditional medicine) are also in the team, Dr. Abdul Qadir told reporters at Pakistan House.
The mission has set up eight well-equipped medical centers in Makkah and four in Madinah to provide any emergency assistance during Haj.
A 60-bed main hospital has been set up at Pakistan House in Makkah, which is fully geared to serve pilgrims.
Its facilities include male and female wards, death and disease cells, dental unit, ophthalmology, ENT, emergency ward, an operation theater, a lab and even an ultrasound unit, said Dr. Qadir. Medicines worth an estimated 8.5 million rupees were provided by the government of Pakistan, while 1.6 million rupees worth of medicines were given by philanthropists, he said.
In view of the anticipated rush at the hospital 60 more beds have been arranged with the cooperation of local donors by Shahid Khan, director general of Haj and Bahrullah Hazarvi, director of Haj.
A fleet of 12 ambulances has been arranged for Makkah and four for Madinah to serve Pakistani pilgrims.
A medical store was set up in the basement of Pakistan House under the supervision of Maj. Mohammad Javed in October, Dr. Qadir said, adding that a death and disease cell and a morgue were also set up there.
“Approximately 6,000 pilgrims including Egyptians, Indians and Bangladeshis were provided medical treatment at the facility,” he said. Most of them suffered from viral infection or diabetes.
There are Pakistani representatives in local hospitals — Ajiyad Hospital, Al-Noor, Al-Zahir (King Abdul Aziz), King Faisal General Hospital (Shisha) and Hira Hospital – who inform their country’s mission in case any Pakistani pilgrim is admitted there, said Dr. Qadir.