RIYADH/JEDDAH, 21 December 2005 — The Ministry of Haj has set out a comprehensive plan in coordination with other related government departments to make this year’s Haj operation a resounding success, says Haj Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy.

“We have developed the operation plan of Tawafa organizations (licensed Haj service firms) as well as field service groups and allocated lands in Mina for domestic pilgrims,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted him as saying.

He emphasized the government’s efforts to provide the best possible services to the guests of God in order to help them perform their religious duties with ease and comfort.

Al-Farsy said domestic pilgrims would be issued Haj permits through an automatic system when they apply for them via licensed Haj service companies, adding that the permits will be issued in coordination with the passport and civil service departments and the data center.

The ministry has allocated a toll-free number — 800-244-4480 — to educate domestic pilgrims on the need to contract with licensed Haj service firms.

“We have already allocated tents in Mina for pilgrims who have come from abroad last month,” the minister said. Tawafa organizations have been instructed to use small vehicles to assist stranded pilgrims to their respective tents.

The Haj Ministry has instructed the General Authority of Civil Aviation to ensure prompt take-off of Haj return flights in order to end the habit of pilgrims waiting for days at the airport for their return journey.

The ministry has warned Saudis and residents against providing refuge to Umrah pilgrims overstaying their visas or providing them with housing and jobs, saying violators of the law would face punitive measures.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, meanwhile, has worked out a plan to increase Haj awareness of pilgrims through the Internet, audio and visual media and mobile phones. It will distribute three million copies of books and audiocassettes explaining Haj rituals.

“We will appoint more than 2,000 Islamic preachers, translators and other employees to Haj duty,” Talal Al-Oqail, adviser to the Islamic affairs minister said, adding that its officials would be given 200 vehicles.

In related news, the Ministry of Health has advised local Haj pilgrims to receive their bacterial meningitis vaccinations 10 days before they proceed on their pilgrimage to Makkah.

“Immunity against the disease will be effective only after 10 days from the time of the injection,” Dr. Khaled Al-Merghalani, communications director and supervisor of the Health Awareness Campaign at the ministry, told Arab News, adding that these doses are valid for two years.

The vaccine is available at the Kingdom’s primary health care centers free-of-charge to pilgrims. The vaccine is also available at private clinics for a modest charge. It is given to adults and children over two years of age. It is not administered on pregnant women.

Explaining the seriousness of the disease, Al-Merghalani pointed out that bacterial meningitis could spread during the Haj season because of high number of pilgrims coming from areas where the disease is endemic. He added that overcrowded conditions favor the transmission of the disease, which is spread through close, direct contact with an infected person leading to exchange of saliva or respiratory and throat secretions. The bacteria are spread in a similar fashion as flu viruses, however they are not as easily contagious. Still, health officials recommend that pilgrims carry with them handkerchiefs or tissues to cover their nose or mouth when they sneeze or cough.

Immigration authorities require meningitis vaccination certificates from expatriates before issuing Haj visas. They also require documented blood types. This documentation is available in the pilgrims’ home countries, but Saudi health officials will also provide the vaccination and documentation at Kingdom’s entry points.

Common symptoms of meningitis in anyone over the age of two years are high fever, headache, and a stiff neck. These symptoms can develop over several hours, or they may take one to two days to appear. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, discomfort when looking into bright lights, confusion and sleepiness. “Persons with these symptoms should get medical attention right away,” said Al-Merghalani.

The Ministry of Health is also keeping an around-the-clock vigil on incoming foreign pilgrims to identify suspected SARS, avian flu and other contagious diseases. The ministry has installed cameras to monitor any suspected diseased cases entering the Kingdom through all ports of entry. Special attention is being paid to the Haj Terminal of the King Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah since pilgrims from endemic areas tend to disembark at this entry point.

The ministry has dispatched more than 16 teams in the holy cities to look after the health interests of the pilgrims.