JEDDAH, 26 December 2005 — Saudi Arabia has beefed up health checks at entry points in order to prevent possible outbreak of avian flu among the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who come for Haj.
Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie said the pilgrims who have so far arrived for the Jan. 8-12 event were free of bird-flu or any other contagious diseases. “Some 622,000 pilgrims who have come for the Haj are free of any virus or illness,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the minister as saying.
He said officials of the preventive medicine department were inspecting all pilgrims on their arrival at entry points. “The ministry looks into information related to diseases and epidemics in different countries,” Manie said. “Anyone found to have an illness is sent back to his country immediately.”
More than 2.5 million Muslims from over 160 countries are expected to perform the Haj this season.
Many come from Asian countries, where the deadly H5N1 form of bird flu has killed more than 70 people since 2003. Health experts have warned that the gathering of pilgrims poses a risk by creating the conditions in which a pandemic strain of flu could emerge.
Manie made no specific mention of bird flu, but officials say the Kingdom has spent SR25 million ($6.7 million) to treat and prevent flu ahead of the Haj season, especially among those in contact with birds.
Experts fear bird flu could mutate into a strain that could be transmitted from person to person. The risk of mutation would be increased if anyone with bird flu came to Makkah and mingled with people that have common flu among the huge crowds.
Manie said the government has readied 21 hospitals and 155 health centers in Makkah and other holy sites and appointed more than 10,000 doctors, nurses and technicians to provide health services to pilgrims.
The Health Ministry has signed a contract with a national company to establish a modern hospital with 500 beds in Mina, Manie said, adding that the hospital would be ready within 12 months. He denied reports that there would be a shortage of medicines during the Haj season.
Various government departments have stepped up their preparations for the Haj. Muhammad Al-Baghdadi, director of the water department in the Makkah region, yesterday inspected water supply system in the holy sites.
Water reservoirs in Makkah, Mina and Arafat have a total capacity of 2.2 million cubic meters. Two large water reservoirs and 2,400 lavatories along the pedestrian road from Arafat to Muzdalifa were built this year.
The Muslim World League (MWL) said yesterday that 500 Islamic personalities around the world would perform Haj as its guests. Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of MWL, said they were selected considering their contributions to Islamic work, such as establishment of Islamic centers and mosques.
The Makkah Charitable Foundation, an affiliate of MWL, will distribute 100,000 meals among pilgrims, according to Saeed Al-Ghamdi, the foundation’s director.
