2010 Hajj pilgrims assured
The Saudi Red Crescent Authority is preparing to launch the first air-ambulance service for this year’s Hajj season with five aircraft to carry sick or injured people to hospitals, said a report quoting the Director of Information in the Red Crescent Authority. (Photo: Makkah Metro)
Ahmed Rayan Barayan says “preparations are underway to establish landing pads at the holy sites”. He announced that the air-ambulance service will provide “around-the-clock service” to handle critical cases and accidents.
In a related development, the Mecca Health Affairs Director, Dr. Khaled bin Obaid Zafar has also announced that a number of hospitals, health centers and clinics will be serving the pilgrims during this year’s Hajj with more than 3,000 beds.
According to Zafar, this year’s health plan for Hajj consists of preventive, curative and emergency services to the guests of God at all entry points- air, land and sea.
“Medical examinations and tests will be conducted on pilgrims at all the entry points. Vaccinations will be given to those who have not already taken them,” Zafar told reporters in Riyadh.
He added that: “Pilgrims who are sick will get necessary treatment and medicines while critical and emergency cases will be transferred to hospitals.”
Zafar said in addition to the general hospitals, there are 31 health centers in Mecca that will be providing health care to pilgrims, adding that, “there will be five health centers inside the Grand Mosque and five others in the plazas surrounding it in addition to five centers at the car parks along the Mecca-Jeddah Expressway.”
Officials of the Saudi Railway Organization have also announced the completion of the first phase of the Mecca Metro project that connects Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina, but they were also quick to point out that, only pilgrims from within Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf countries would be able to use the Metro initially. “However, it would be ready for all pilgrims by 2011,” they also assured.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj, Dr. Fouad Abdul Salam Al-Farsi, has also assured some accredited diplomats in the Kingdom that his ministry would provide “around-the-clock services” to all pilgrims the moment they arrive to when they depart.
Meanwhile, the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Riyadh under the leadership of Ambassador Wusu Munu has also put in place mechanisms to receive its pilgrims expected to arrive at the Prince Mohamed Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport, Medinah at the end of this month.
“We have in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Hajj Mission in Freetown worked on mechanisms aimed at enabling our pilgrims to perform their Hajj rituals easily and comfortably,” H.E Munu said.
Alhaji M.B. Jalloh, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone Embassy, Riyadh – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
© 2010, https:. All rights reserved.
