Speaking at a press conference at Mina Emergency Hospital, Al-Rabeeah attributed this achievement to a series of initiatives taken by the ministry.
“The precautionary and preventive measures taken by the ministry led to pilgrims being safeguarded from all kinds of infections,” Al-Rabeeah said.
The first step taken by the ministry to guarantee an infection free pilgrimage was to make it binding for all pilgrims coming from foreign countries to follow the World Health Organization’s specifications for travelers from one country to another.
Another key step was the ministry’s rigorous watch at all entry points into the Kingdom to detect if any incoming pilgrim was carrying symptoms of infections and to take immediate action if any suspicious case was found, the minister said.
“Preventive doses against meningitis were given to 365,777 pilgrims, oral polio vaccines to 532,400 pilgrims and yellow fever vaccines to 200,000 pilgrims at various entry points to the Kingdom,” the minister said.
The field health teams of the ministry handled 3,500 cases of sick pilgrims without sending them to hospital, the minister said, while enumerating the accomplishments of his ministry during the Haj.
“The ministry’s hospitals conducted 470 specialized heart catheterizations, 20 open heart surgeries to pilgrims in addition to a number of patients waiting to undergo the surgery in the next two days. The hospitals also conducted 886 kidney dialyses and 179 endoscopies,” the minister said.
The minister put the number of pilgrims who visited health centers in Makkah and Madinah at 421,760 and those who visited outpatient clinics in Makkah and the holy sites at 88,635.
“These achievements attest to the Ministry of Health’s capability to offer high quality services to pilgrims,” the minister said.
The minister also considered it a great achievement that the ministry took 415 inpatient pilgrims from hospitals in Makkah, the holy sites and Madinah in specially equipped coaches and ambulances to perform the rites of Haj.
He added that the ministry could offer quality services to pilgrims with the help of advanced technology, including a special computer-controlled system and geographical positioning.
The ministry also has an instant information system that supplies to field workers information about the locations of the ambulances. The systems also enabled remote consulting and video viewing of emergency wards in hospitals. The systems also enabled the media and top officials to observe the medical services offered to pilgrims.
The ministry will hold a meeting of all health committees to analyze the positive and negative aspects of its plans and activities, he said.
A WHO director for combating infections, Dr. Jawad Al-Mahjour, has also been monitoring the services offered by the ministry to pilgrims, especially the excellent care of sick Hajis and steps taken to detect and combat diseases.
