MINA, 2 January 2007 — Saudi Arabia has declared this year’s Haj a “infectious and communicable disease-free.”
The announcement was made yesterday by Minister of Health Dr. Hamad Al-Manie at the close of the main Haj rituals and pilgrims began leaving Mina.
“Dependent on the latest reports, the field surveillance and follow-up activities on the health status of the pilgrims, it is my pleasure to announce that this year the Haj was free of any infectious and communicable diseases,” Al-Manie said in a statement issued by the Health Ministry.
The World Health Organization (WHO) commended the Kingdom’s health measures for Haj and applauded in particular the surveillance measures at the ports of entry to monitor infectious and communicable diseases among the pilgrims.
Dr. Awad Abu Zaid Mukhtar, the representative of WHO in the Kingdom, praised the efforts of the Kingdom to mobilize resources and put them at the disposal of the pilgrims.
The Saudi Red Crescent Society said yesterday it responded to over 8,000 emergency calls in the holy sites as of Monday. This includes 441 cases in the Haram area, 911 cases in Arafat, 3,385 in Muzdalifah and 2,123 cases in Mina. The total number of cases attended to in Madinah reached 1001.
The Red Crescent air ambulance evacuated three cases while the total number of cases attended by the motorbike medical teams reached 319, of which 230 were treated on the spot and the rest transferred to hospital.
