Upgraded Medical Care for Pilgrims
The Ministry of Health has devised a comprehensive plan to provide prompt medical services to pilgrims.
The arrangement includes establishing new medical centers and updating existing hospital equipment. The substitution of old medical equipment and machines will cost SR218,200,000, said Dr. Khalid Qasim Al-Sumairi, the Director of Health Affairs for the Makkah region.
These changes will be particularly evident near holy sites.
Work on a new ‘Emergency Hospital’ with 300 beds, situated in Mina, close to Jamarat, started on Oct 28. 2006, involving a cost of SR185 million, according to a report published today by Saudi Gazette.
Meanwhile, the expansion overheads for the Jabal Rahmat Hospital in Arafat are said to reach SR15 million. The growth will see more outdoor clinics and 50 additional beds.
Additionally, Nimrah Hospital’s improvements, which include ultra modern medical equipment and a laboratory with the latest testing technology, have cost SR5.5million.
Other developments include a warehouse which will store an immediate supply of medicines and other necessities for the medical centers around the holy sites. The depot, which cost SR3 million to construct, is close to the General Hospital in Arafat.
The renovation of 11 medical centers in Mina and the replacement of old equipment came with a SR2.5million fee.
Similarly, SR187.5 million has been spent on the other hospitals in Makkah and a few others around the holy sites, Al-Sumairi said.
The health director added King Abdul Aziz Hospital, King Faisal Hospital, Ajiyad General Hospital, Hera General Hospital, the Maternity and Pediatric Hospital and Noor Specialists Hospital have started working round the clock.
Al-Sumairi said pilgrims are being attended to in all these hospitals. Additionally, impressive medical services are being given to women visitors in the Maternity and Pediatric Hospital. Women pilgrims who bleed are treated urgently in the hospital’s operation theatre. Children and all the other patients are carefully seen to, with free examinations and treatment for all.
He also said 10,028 doctors and paramedical staff have started serving seven hospitals in Makkah and five hospitals and 11 medical centers in Mina. Out of these 4,500 are doctors, specialists and consultants.
The Kingdom has therefore made the best medical services available to the pilgrims. What’s more, additional beds are provided in all the hospitals during the Hajj season, making a total of more than 2,000 beds, with about 500 of those near the holy locations.
Outlining the other emergency and non-emergency facilities available to the pilgrims, Al-Sumairi said five special centers have been opened to treat acute kidney cases and incidents of chemical poisoning.
Pilgrims can also attend any of the 72 clinics in the Holy City.
The Grand Mosque has five pharmacies within its premises, and a fleet of 100 ambulances will be available around the clock in the holy sites from the sixth to the 15th day of Hajj. A number of ambulances are permanently working with all the hospitals.
General health services provided to the pilgrims include medical checkups, tests and x-rays. Located close to the Grand Mosque, Ajiyad Hospital faces a very heavy influx of patients and during the peak season, the number of sufferers increases to 10,000 per day, Al-Sumairi said.
Patients requiring long-term treatment are transferred to the Noor Specialists Hospital. Al-Sumairi said about 5 percent of the patients are in serious condition and given the utmost care. All the above-mentioned hospitals have intensive care and cardio vascular units for serious treatment. They also have an emergency ward for women patients.
When asked where most of the patients come from, Al-Sumairi said they are mostly Egyptian, Indian and Pakistani. They are usually above 55 or even older, with common ailments like diabetes, lung congestion, viruses and urinary track diseases. However, Al-Sumairi said it is a pleasure for the Kingdom to serve the pilgrims in every way possible.