His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, has affirmed that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has given his orders to provide best-quality health services for pilgrims, and to place particular on the humanitarian aspects.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah added that the Holy Sites' hospitals, thus far, have conducted 178 catheterization surgeries, and 22 open-heart surgeries. He pointed out that the East Arafat Hospital, inaugurated last Friday by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, May Allah protect him, is highly equipped and supported with experienced medical and technical cadres, meanwhile wishing that pilgrims will benefit from the hospital.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah made this statement during his inspection tour, yesterday at noon, to the MOH hospitals at the Holy Sites, including East Arafat Hospital, where he was received by the director of the hospital, Dr. Hatem Abdulaziz Khuqair. Dr. Al-Rabeeah moved through the hospital's various sections (emergency, pharmacy, radiology, laboratory, operation theatres, intensive care units, and control rooms). The director of the hospital, for his part, gave an elaborate account of the hospital, its beds, and advanced medical devices. East Arafat Hospital is the newest hospital recently opened in Arafat region for the benefit of pilgrims performing the Hajj rites. It accommodates 263 beds, including 50 intensive care beds, and 30 emergency beds.
It followed that His Excellency the Minister of Health moved to Namirah Hospital, where he was received by the director of the hospital, Dr. Abdulkareem Ba-Faraj. Dr. Al-Rabeeah moved through the hospital's emergency and internal medicine sections. Then he paid a visit to Arafat General Hospital, where he was received by the director of the hospital, Dr. Ahmed Al-Kharoubi, who accompanied Dr. Al-Rabeeah through the hospital's sections, including the pharmacy, to verify of the availability of all the necessary medicines for the various diseases. He met also with the patients hospitalized at the hospital (30 patients). They had been moved from Madinah's hospitals to perform the Arafah ritual. They were transported under the supervision of a highly experienced medical convoy.
Within the framework of his inspection tour, Dr. Al-Rabeeah paid another visit to Al-Rahmah Mountain Hospital, where the director of the hospital, Dr. Fahad Abdularasheed Al-Afghani showed Dr. Al-Rabeeah the hospital's various facilities and sections: emergency and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). He gave an elaborate account of the several state-of-the-art medical devices that provide high-level medical services for pulmonary heart patients, in addition to the intensive care devices serving pilgrims for the first time during this Hajj season.
Then, His Excellency moved to Mina Al-Wadi Hospital, where he listened to a detailed explanation from the Director of the hospital, Dr. Abddullah Al-Khuzaee. Also, the visit included sun strokes halls, in addition to the intensive care and pharmacy.
And His Excellency, Dr, Al-Rabeeah concluded the tour with visiting the field medicine and emergency fleet, which includes ambulances fully-staffed with a fully fledged medical team including a physician, assistant physician, and nurse. As such, these ambulances serve the pilgrims within the Holy Sites' sector shortly after receiving any emergency medical cases requiring fist aid.
Accompanying His Excellency the Minister of Health during his inspection tour were the Deputy Minister of Health for Health Affairs, Dr. Mansour Al-Huwasi; and the Deputy-Minister of Health for Planning and Development, Dr. Mohammed Khoshaim, along with a number of the Ministry's officials and chairpersons of the Hajj committees in the Ministry of Health.
Right after his inspection tour, His Excellency, the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah affirmed that May Allah be praised, no new Corona virus cases reported, referring that only two mortality cases were reported, which were previously announced.
His Excellency stated, during his inspection tour at the Holy Sites' hospitals on Tuesday evening, that May Allah be praised, the pilgrims are clear of any risks vis-à-vis Corona virus, or any other life-threatening viruses. He also confirmed that all the cases frequenting the hospitals are normal cases or chronic diseases, and no epidemiological diseases were reported. However, he pointed out that the Ministry of Health has an ambulatory fleet, made up of 175 ambulances, with different sizes and fully-equipped. In addition, they are staffed with highly-qualified medical cadres; in order to provide the service in the field or maintain person's life through moving them to the nearest proper health center.
And His Excellency added that the different health sectors work within fully fledged health system and at the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and HRH the Crown Prince, May Allah protect them, to work under one umbrella. And this is what was achieved as all the sectors work within one system according to fully fledged plans and coordination to make a success of the Hajj season.
As far as the Ministry's preparations to serve the pilgrims, who began to arrive at the Holy Sites, his Excellency, Dr. Al-Rabeeah pointed out that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques stressed on providing the highest health care and paying attention to the human considerations. For example, the Ministry provided human services, to the effect that it moved the hospitalized patients to the Holy Site of Arafat to complete their rites; a service the Ministry and the Kingdom credit. He also noted that a medical convoy arrived yesterday with 30 pilgrims on board; they were moved from the Madinah Hospitals to the Arafat hospitals by ambulances equipped with the necessary equipment and medical cadres.