MINA, 21 January 2005 — In an act of unparalleled kindness, a hospital in Makkah performed bypass surgery free of cost on a pilgrim who suffered from serious heart ailment, and saved his life. Mohammed Ahmed Ali from Andhra Pradesh, who was recovering after surgery at Al-Noor hospital, was suffering from rheumatic heart disease with pulmonary hypertension when he was admitted.
“The hospital provided all medical help to this pilgrim free of cost. The valve needed for replacement cost SR5,000 to 6,000 but was made available for free,” said Suhel Ejaz Khan, a senior Indian Consulate official.
Ali’s right artery was completely blocked and needed immediate replacement.
Blood for his operation was given by some Indians. Indian Pilgrims Welfare Forum gave Ali SR2,700 in assistance.
Ali’s daughter and son-in-law who live in Riyadh have arrived and are with the pilgrim. They have thanked the hospital and its staff for providing all possible medical assistance to his father and saving his life.
They said that Ali was upset that he would not be able to perform Haj even after coming to the holy city. But “we told him that next year God willing he can perform the pilgrimage and fulfill his long-cherished dream,” one of his family members said.
He was all praise for Al-Nooor Hospital’s management for their help. “Such act of generosity and kindness is only seen in Saudi Arabia. It’s unparalleled,” he said.
Nineteen other Indian pilgrims, who were suffering from acute physical ailments and were completely drained out after three days of hardship they endured while performing Haj, proved that where there is a will there is a way when they performed yesterday’s stoning of Jamarat under medical supervision.
They were taken to Arafat on Wednesday in ambulance and then were brought back to Mina to perform the stoning rite.
Most of them were suffering from acute respiratory problems and a few of them were diabetic, some others were running high fever, said Indian Consul General Ausaf Sayeed. One of them had a broken leg after meeting with an accident earlier, he said.
Four ambulances were deputed to ferry these pilgrims from one place to another and each one had one doctor and a paramedic on board to take care of them.
One such pilgrim from Kashmir, Ghulam Mohiuddin, who was taking rest in his camp, said he was happy to have performed the rituals despite his illness. “I had lost hope of performing Haj due to respiratory problems, but thank God I was taken in an ambulance with three other ailing pilgrims to Arafat. I also performed the rites of stoning the Jamarat under medical supervision,” Mohiuddin said. “Now I am immensely relieved,” he added.
Alvi Kutty from Kerala, who was also suffering from respiratory problems, was aided by doctors to perform his rites. He was still having some restlessness when he came back after stoning the Jamarat.
“I am still recuperating from acute illness and was advised by doctors not to do stoning myself but I gathered courage and by the grace of Almighty performed the rite myself. They took me to Jamarat in an ambulance,” Kutty said.
