Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of Defense, has thanked Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah for the excellent health services his ministry rendered to Haj pilgrims. This included ensuring a Haj season free of contagious diseases.

Al-Rabeeah said in an earlier message addressed to the crown prince that the hospitals and health centers of the ministry at the holy sites served more than 1.2 million pilgrims during the recently concluded Haj season. Out of these, 4,015 patients were admitted to various government hospitals.

The hospitals also undertook cardiac catheterization of 459 pilgrims, in addition to conducting open-heart surgery on 22 patients and registering 1,624 kidney dialysis cases and 106 keyhole surgeries.

The report also said 24 babies were born during Haj.

The ministry employed 22,500 officials to supervise its pilgrim services. During this season, the ministry ran 25 hospitals, 141 health centers and operated 175 ambulances and field medical vehicles.