No cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been reported among pilgrims in Makkah, said Acting Health Minister Adel Fakeih after inspecting hospitals and other health facilities in the city on Wednesday.

“All the hospitals in Makkah and other holy sites have been provided with advanced medical facilities and are manned by highly qualified doctors and medical personnel,” the minister said.

“Our health preparations for Haj are at the highest level,” Fakeih said, adding that highly complicated cases would be transferred to the hi-tech King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah, which has clinics for rare specialties.

“No cases of infectious diseases, including MERS, have been reported among pilgrims in Makkah and the health condition of pilgrims is satisfactory,” the minister said.

He said the ministry was closely monitoring the appearance of new MERS cases in some parts of the country, including Taif and Hanakiya, and has taken steps to prevent the disease from spreading.

Fakeih said all hospitals and health centers in Makkah are fully prepared to deal with any emergency situations during the Haj season. “We have also kept the health facilities in Mina and Arafat ready for Haj,” he added.

He opened a mobile unit for cleaning dangerous material at East Arafat Hospital and said the ministry wanted to establish similar units at hospitals in different parts of the Kingdom.

The minister later inspected the cardiac center at King Abdullah Medical City. The center has carried out 420 cardiac operations during the past two weeks, of which 164 were on pilgrims.

“We have done 35 open heart surgeries during the past few weeks, including 16 on pilgrims,” said Dr. Yaseen Malawi, CEO of the medical city.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has made arrangements to transport sick pilgrims, who have been admitted to hospitals in Madinah, to Makkah and holy sites to complete their Haj rituals.

A caravan of ambulances left Wednesday to Makkah, said Dr. Abdullah Al-Taifi, health director in Madinah, adding that doctors and nurses have accompanied the sick pilgrims to take care of them.

He said the ministry arranged 37 ambulances for the operation. “We are providing this service to pilgrims with the support of the Haj Ministry, the Guides Organization and the highway police,” he said, while praising Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman’s support for the program.