Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said his ministry has prepared an integrated plan that is based on team spirit and a professional and scientific approach to serve pilgrims as per the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Crown Prince Salman and Minister of Interior Prince Ahmed.
The plan focuses on the quality of service provided through the implementation of the ministry’s motto “the health of Allah’s guests is our duty.”
Those working to implement that motto give priority to providing outstanding and pioneering health services during Haj via a clear strategy that is executed in stages from the beginning to the end of the season so as to preserve pilgrims health and guarantee a Haj season that is free of contagious diseases.
He said that curative services are provided to pilgrims as per the ministry’s operation plan through 25 hospitals and 141 health care centers distributed at all Haj Areas. They include four in Arafat, four in Mina, seven in Makkah and nine in Madinah, in addition to the King Abdullah Medical City. These hospitals and health care centers provide about 5,250 beds including 4,200 hospitalization beds, 500 intensive care beds and 550 emergency room beds.
Al-Rabeeah said the ministry would continue to include level-4 specialist curative services during the season. These services entered the ministry’s Haj operation plan two years ago with the aim to reduce the rate of deaths resulted from certain diseases during Haj.
He said the ministry has provided the medical equipment and personnel required to deal with most cases as to avoid referring patients to other hospitals.
He said the ministry has made it a condition for any person seeking to perform Haj to be inoculated against meningitis. Those arriving from abroad have to present a certificate showing they had been inoculated at least 10 days before arrival and no more than 3 years ago.
So far health conditions of pilgrims in general is good. Preventive, curative and ambulatory services have been available to them since their arrival, he said.
Recently, Arab News reporter Nadim Al-Hamid interviewed Al-Rabeeah about the Ministry of Health’s Haj plans.
Would you shed light on the ministry’s operational plan for this year’s Haj?
The ministry assigned 20,000 medical, technical and administrative staff who are participants of the Visiting Manpower program to execute the ministry’s operational plan for this year’s Haj. The plan entails providing 16,000 blood units and blood products of all blood groups. Major hospitals at different regions were designated to act as backup to provide quantities of blood and blood products in cases of emergency. Eighty large ambulances were provided to transport patients between health facilities as well as 95 small ones were designated for other transportations. Each car has a doctor and a nurse. In addition, the ministry has prepared preventive and emergency programs and awareness media programs.
What is new in the services you (the ministry) are providing for pilgrims this year?
The ministry this year is expanding its specialist curative services program that was endorsed in its Haj plans two years ago. The expansion includes the heart catheterization program and heart surgeries at King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah and at hospitals in Haj areas.
It is also developing and improving the services presented in intensive care units in Haj zones’ hospitals, using modern technologies. It provided Holy Sites hospitals with gastrointestinal endoscopy equipment and dialysis machines in order to treat any case without referring it to other hospitals.
Are there any health restrictions for domestic and external pilgrims? What are they and how are they implemented?
The ministry is determined to implement preventive measures through disease control and through following up epidemiology of diseases and the changes and developments in the global health situation through the World Health Organization and other international organizations. This year health measures concentrated on Yellow Fever, meningitis, poliomyelitis and seasonal influenza.
The ministry requires all of those arriving in the Kingdom for Haj to present certificates of vaccination against Meningococcal Meningitis. The certificate must have been issued no more than three years ago and not less than 10 days before arrival in Saudi Arabia. The ministry also requires those arriving from countries where Yellow Fever is endemic to present a valid certificate of vaccination. Planes, ships and other transportation means arriving from these countries must present a certificate indicating the vehicle, aircraft or boat was sprayed for with insecticides for insects (mosquitoes) — disinfection.
Those arriving from countries where poliomyelitis is endemic are required to present a certificate of an oral polio vaccine for children younger than 15-year-old that took place no further than six weeks before their arrival and they will get another dose upon arrival in Saudi Arabia. The ministry recommends that all travelers be vaccinated against seasonal influenza especially those with pre-existing conditions such as heart, kidney, respiratory conditions, neurologic diseases and those diabetics, pregnant or obese.
If there was a world-level case of emergency, or an epidemic had broke out in a country from which pilgrims are arriving, then the ministry could take any additional health measures concerning travelers coming from these countries, and this would carried out in coordination with the World Health Organization so as to avoid the spread of the disease among pilgrims and the possibility of it being carried to their countries.
Fifteen health control centers at all of the country’s crossing points are the first to check that health measures are met by visitors. Saudi missions abroad also check the commitment to these measures when issuing Haj and Umrah visas.
You have recently announced that eight hospitals would serve pilgrims in the holy sites. Do you think these hospitals would be sufficient to serve the millions of pilgrims? Is there any plan to open new hospitals in the area?
The ministry makes preparations for Haj well in advance, soon after the Haj of the year before is over, avoiding negative aspects and improving on positive achievements. We have opened a new 236-bed hospital with 50 intensive care units and a 30-bed emergency wards east of Arafat. This hospital will provide health services to pilgrims for the first time this year. Pilgrims are provided with comprehensive health services through government hospitals, primary health care centers, emergency centers and field medical services that are manned by qualified medical staff. Thus, we have arrangements for all pilgrims to receive the necessary health services quickly and efficiently.
What is the total number of the ministry’s work force to provide health services to pilgrims during this Haj? Do they cover all the necessary medical specializations?
We have mobilized about 20,000 employees including doctors, administrators and paramedical staff from different parts of the Kingdom for Haj duty. We have increased the number of preventive medicine staff in Madinah to 107 to expand its services to pilgrims like the program’s counterpart in Makkah. We have also recruited 320 medical experts in rare specializations including 13 cardiologists, 14 consultants and 22 specialists and 205 ICU experts to support health facilities in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites. About 360 scouts and 50 medical students will also support the health staff on Haj duty.
In the light of the previous experiences of the ministry what are the main health problems you expect during this Haj season?
As we mentioned earlier, the ministry takes measures to prevent the spread of contagious diseases among pilgrims. Until now, the health situation of pilgrims is satisfactory and there is nothing to worry about. A number of diseases such as cold and influenza appear during the Haj season because of the presence of millions of pilgrims from different parts of the world. It is quite natural. Pilgrims will also become sick as a result of hard work and we have achieved a lot of experience in dealing with such pilgrims. I would like to add another important point. Some of these pilgrims who come from different parts of the world follow unhealthy food habits and this may cause food poisoning and many pilgrims may fall sick. Our ministry tries to spread health awareness among pilgrims before and after their arrival in the Kingdom. We have published health guidelines in 10 major languages focusing on how to protect from diseases that occur during the Haj season. Copies of these guidelines are distributed among prospective pilgrims through the Saudi missions abroad. We’ll continue this awareness programs throughout the Haj season through our facilities in the holy sites using different means such as billboards, display screens, televisions, videos in different languages, leaflets and stickers.
We also conduct a health awareness campaign during the Haj season titled “Health is vital for Haj.” We use social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to enhance health awareness. We also produce health awareness programs and telecast them through radio and television channels. A web portal titled “Health of the Guests of God” has been established on the ministry’s website for pilgrims to benefit from its articles and messages. The ministry distributes health awareness material among pilgrims on their arrival at airports, seaports and land entry points.
Finally, what is your message to the guests of God who perform Haj this year?
I pray to the Almighty Allah to help our pilgrims perform their Haj rituals with ease and comfort. May Allah accept their Haj, forgive their sins and help them return to their homes and countries safely with good health.
We also host a number of consultants at the information and awareness center to answer queries of pilgrims through the toll-free no. 8002494444.
