RIYADH: The Ministry of Health is currently preparing 300,000 meals for its workers engaged in Haj work in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and also making special meals for heat stroke and Intensive Care Unit patients in its hospitals.

The meals include daily items for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The preparation of the meals at the respective kitchens where these cuisine is prepared will be supervised by a special team of nutrition specialists who have been hired for the purpose.

The nutritionists will prescribe the menus for the three meals to suit the needs of the health officials and patients.

The meals for health officials will be supervised by various teams comprising 75 nutritionists, while the menus for the heat stroke and ICU patients will be determined by not more than 10 such food specialists.

According to a health official from the ministry of health, sun stroke patients and ICU patients need special type of foods according to their respective health conditions.

The Ministry of Health represented by a health official for Medical Services warned pilgrims from certain medications that may increase the risk of sun strokes during the performance of Haj rituals.

Clinical Pharmacist Nora Al-Juhani stressed that with the increase in temperature for during the Haj season this year, it is expected that the sun strokes are the most important health problems that may be faced by pilgrims, especially the elderly who suffer from chronic diseases.

According to previous year statistics, Al-Juhuani said that some medications may affect the body's ability to deal with and respond to high temperatures, such as medicines of high blood pressure, diuretics, beta inhibitors, some asthma drugs, abdominal cramps and nausea.