Behind this success were competent men and women who worked relentlessly day and night, relying on God Almighty and the accumulated experience in all areas of mass -gathering medicine like preparation, planning and execution.
As a nation, we have only full respect for the efforts of our sons and daughters who belong to the Ministry of Health under the leadership of its minister. The professionalism with which the expert health services were provided with technical skills in both preventative and therapeutic services, was of the highest quality. The medical services provided by the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, represented by the Ministry of Health, are considered a humanitarian service and a model to be followed by humanitarian and charitable organizations all over the world. The Ministry of Health administered highly specialized medical services which saved lives: More than 470 cardiac catheterizations and 20 open heart surgeries, in addition to 886 renal dialysis sessions and more than 179 therapeutic endoscopic procedures were performed for the pilgrims. The medical transportation of sick pilgrims to complete their Haj rituals is also worthy of mention; the Ministry of Health dedicated a large number of highly equipped ambulances to transfer 415 inpatients from Madinah and Makkah hospitals to Arafat. More than 73 ambulances, staffed by highly qualified medical professionals, accompanied the pilgrims on their full Haj journey.
The Ministry of Health did not forget to address the preventative aspects of this year's Haj season; a comprehensive and detailed package of requirements and procedures were developed to minimize health risks. All participating countries were given an up-to-date set of evidence-based health requirements for pilgrims. In addition, active surveillance was carried out at all ports of entry to the Kingdom, whether by air, sea or land. People who followed the efforts of the Ministry of Health attest to the administration of chemoprophylactic agents and vaccines by ports of entry personnel. Meningococcal meningitis chemoprophylaxis was given to 365,777 pilgrims, oral polio vaccine to 532,400 pilgrims and 200,000 yellow fever vaccinations to eligible international pilgrims.
Finally, all these measures and services provided to the pilgrims with such a high level of professionalism and accuracy led the World Health Organization to acknowledge Saudi Arabia’s efforts and recognize it as an international reference for mass-gathering medicine. This does credit to the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques that spared no expense to ensure the safety and well being of the guests of God.
May God bless these noble efforts of our beloved country and leadership; may God continue to protect our leaders and the Saudi people from any harm and maintain safety and stability in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Source: Arabnews.com
Date: 11 November 2011