JEDDAH, 22 December 2006 — The Ministry of Health is organizing for the first time the conference of pilgrims’ health and safety under the support of the Interior Minister Prince Naif.
“All the ministries and sectors that are related to Haj will be present to explain their preparations for the Haj season,” said Rida Khalil, a Ministry of Health representative involved in Haj affairs.
The three-day conference (two days in Jeddah and one in Makkah) that kicks off Sunday will address myriad issues related to pilgrims’ safety, health and transit during the Haj season. The conference will also highlight the services being offered to pilgrims.
“We decided to run the conference in the first week of Dhul Hijjah so that the biggest number of pilgrims can be present and benefit,” said Khalil.
The Ministry of Health has received more than 100 papers and proposals for issues that will be reviewed at the conference.
Sacrificial meat distribution and its role in protecting health will be the first lecture in the first day of the conference, followed by a presentation on the needs of elderly pilgrims, the responsibilities of the Ministry of Finance during Haj, and emergency services.
An important issue to be addressed will be safely getting rid of medical hazardous waste during Haj. There will be a survey studying the quality of water in the pilgrims’ accommodation areas.
Many other issues will be discussed in the other two days including antibiotic treatment for the common contagions that appear at the world’s largest human gathering, health regulations for pilgrims, disaster plan during the Haj season and blood banks.
The first two days of the conference, Sunday and Monday, will take place in the Intercontinental Hotel in Jeddah. The third day will be held in Makkah. The timings will stretch from morning until afternoon.
The following organizations and departments will attend the conference: the ministries of interior, defense and aviation, municipal and rural affairs, Haj, agriculture, and water and electricity, the Saudi Red Crescent Society, the General Directorate of Civil Defense and National Guard, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Haj Research, the Islamic Development Bank, the Central Haj Committee, and municipal officers from Makkah and Madinah.
