Saudi medical teams ready to prevent epidemics during hajj

The Ministry of Health has provided medical teams for pilgrims to prevent the potential spread of any epidemic disease, said Dr. Abdulsalam Noorwali, director of Makkah Health Affairs.

The teams have been dispatched to all points of entry (air, land, sea), the Grand Mosque, and the Holy sites, Noorwali said.

Their mission is to focus on the pilgrims coming from countries that have been struck by epidemic disasters such as Ebola.

He said: “They ensure that quarantine and health requirements are strictly followed and applied to all pilgrims. Of the 106 teams, 38 are stationed in various places while 68 are mobile.”

The ministry has also ensured that all hospitals and health centers in Makkah and the Holy Sites are up and running and ready to receive any emergency case during hajj.

There are nine hospitals n Makkah, eight in the Holy Sites and 129 primary healthcare centers that all work around the clock.

The hospitals in Makkah are Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Hera General Hospital, King Abdulaziz Hospital, King Faisal Hospital, Ajyad General Hospital, Maternity and Children’s Hospital, Ibn Sina Hospital, Al-Kamil Hospital, and Khulais Hospital.

The pilgrims who remain hospitalized in Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah will be transported to the Holy Sites by buses arranged by the Makkah Car Syndicate.

This article was first published in the Saudi Gazette on Sept. 30, 2014.