The Ministry of Health has assigned Ajyad Hospital, in Makkah, to attend to emergency cases among Haj pilgrims in and around the Grand Mosque.
“As in the past, we have been tasked with handling all emergency cases that occur inside and outside mosque premises in Makkah,” Abdul Rahman Al-Baksh, director of the Ajyad Hospital in Makkah, said Tuesday.
The director pointed out that the arrangement is part of the massive health program undertaken by the ministry during the Haj season to offer the best of health services to the guests of God.
“The ministry’s Haj program is extended to 14 sea, land and air routes to the Kingdom during the pilgrimage season,” he added.
He said a large number of beds have been made available at the hospital, which include 32 beds for emergencies, 20 for observation, 12 for intensive care treatment and eight beds for cardiac patients.
Al-Baksh said the emergency section has 54 doctors, 141 nurses and 30 technicians.
He said that Ajyad runs two medical centers within Grand Mosque premises. At these centers , there are three specialists, eight doctors and 18 nurses.
Acting Health Minister Adel Fakeih recently conveyed his keenness for quality health care during a visit to the hospital.
He said most of the emergency cases are treated and discharged following successful treatment.
“Some of the serious cases are transferred to the nearest hospital or to King Abdullah Medical City for further treatment,” he said.
Pilgrims suffering from infectious diseases will be transferred to specialized wards where such cases are treated, he noted.
In a health message issued during the pilgrimage this year, a senior official from the ministry advised pilgrims to cover their nose and mouth in crowded places in Makkah, Madinah and Mina to protect themselves against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
NazreenSherbini, a specialist in infectious diseases and influenza, said that the coronavirus is transmitted through droplets passed on from infected individuals.
“Pilgrims should wear a protective mask that covers the nose and their mouth in crowded places and follow the basic health etiquette while sneezing or coughing,” Sherbini said, warning that they should keep away from anyone experiencing incessant coughing and sneezing and have a body temperature of more than 38 degrees Celsius with a runny nose.
The ministry also requested elderly people with chronic diseases to postpone their pilgrimage in line with the national preventive measures undertaken by the government. “This rule must be followed strictly in the interest of other pilgrims,” she stressed.
Sherbini said that all pilgrims should be vaccinated ahead of time and that pilgrims with seasonal flu would not require antibiotics.
(Source: Arab News)
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