JEDDAH: Umrah companies will be asked to provide resident doctors at Makkah hotels accommodating more than 400 pilgrims as a precautionary measure to contain a potential swine flu outbreak, said Saad Al-Qurashi, chairman of Haj and Umrah Committee at Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Speaking to reporters in Makkah on Thursday, he said rents of four- and five-star hotels in the holy city had declined by 20 to 30 percent after many businessmen and other prominent personalities canceled their plan to perform Umrah during this Ramadan fearing the flu.
He said the number of foreign pilgrims who had come for Umrah this year however increased by 300,000, compared to the previous year. The government has mobilized all its resources for the pilgrims to perform their religious duties with comfort, he said.
Speaking about the role of resident doctors at hotels, Al-Qurashi said they would detect cases of diseases among pilgrims and treat them. They will also inform authorities about suspected swine flu cases and take steps to transfer those patients to specialized hospitals for treatment. “The Umrah companies will also distribute masks for pilgrims to protect themselves from the disease,” he said. He said resident doctors would be provided through the Health Affairs Committee at the chamber. “Contracts will be signed with hospitals and polyclinics to supply resident doctors,” he added.
Al-Qurashi said the rent for pilgrim buses would go up during Ramadan by 20 percent. “Most of these buses are rented from neighboring countries like Egypt, Syria and Turkey,” he said.
He said he was not happy about the inadequate number of domestic flights to carry pilgrims from within the Kingdom. Saudi Arabian Airlines' decision to increase chartered flight charges by 30 percent would increase a pilgrim's financial burden, he said. Al-Qurashi urged Saudis and expatriates going for Umrah to follow health regulations. “The Health Affairs Department in Makkah has prepared a plan to protect the health of pilgrims.”
