His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Bin AbdulAziz Al–Rabeeah, has issued a decree to form Hajj Preparatory committees of the Ministry of Health in Makkah and Madinah. The decree implicated assigning His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Health for Planning and Development, Dr. Mohammad Bin Hamza Khoshaim, to be the head of the Preparatory Committees, including in their membership a number of deputy ministers and directors-general.
These decrees come within the framework of early preparations for Hajj of this current year 1434H and pursuant to what work interests require; including distributing tasks, appointing directors of sectors and committees during arrangement, preparation, execution, follow-up and field supervision on Hajj health services of 1434H between central departments in the Ministry on the one hand, and Makkah and Madinah regions on the other hand.
The resolutions included dividing work to three main stages: arrangement, preparation, and supervision on Hajj services; all of which headed by the Minister of Health. The preparatory committees are to be headed by the Deputy Minister of Health for Planning and Development, Dr. Mohammad Bin Hamza Khoshaim, with the membership of heads of committees in the Ministry, who are: the Advisor to Minister of Health and General Supervisor of Control and Internal Audit and Follow-up, Deputy Minister of Health for Public Health, the head of Curative Medicine, the Director–General of MOH Health Facility Infection Control, Deputy Minister of Health for Planning and Health Economics and the head of MOH Information Technology and Statistics Committee, Deputy Minister of Health for Medical Supply and Engineering Affairs, Assistant Deputy Minister for Supportive Medical Services and Head of Hajj Supportive Health Services (labs, nutrition, and nursing), the Director-General of MOH Hospitals, and head of the Hajj Technical Supervision Committee (on hospitals and health centers), the Supervisor General of Project and Engineering Affairs and Head of Hajj Projects, Supervisor General of Information and Hajj Health Awareness, Director General of the MOH Emergency Department, and Chairman of the Emergency and Field Medicine Committee, in addition to Directors General of Makkah and Madinah Health Affairs.
The resolutions included appointing committees and directorates of Health Affairs in Makkah and Madinah. All plans, programs, projects, requirements and medical and non-medical equipment required for of Hajj and Umrah seasons are to be assigned to Health Services for Hajj and Umrah General Department to be studied and for the procedures to be completed in coordination with the concerned committees and bodies. Makkah and Madinah General Directorates of Health Affairs are to form an executive committee for each directorate headed by the Director General of the Health Affairs for each region. The membership of that committee is to include heads of the locally concerned committees and departments referring to the Hajj Preparatory Committee, provided that each executive committee is to be linked with the head of a similar committee of the Ministry with regards to Hajj tasks.
Furthermore, the resolutions included assigning the Health Services for Hajj and Umrah General Department and MOH officials to execute the appointed tasks and responsibilities to provide all public services during Hajj season, follow up and execute all tasks concerning workforce and visiting manpower service, projects and special requirements of preparatory Hajj committees as well as Makkah and Madinah Regions, prepare and update the procedures, policies and tasks of preparatory Hajj committees, as well as prepare the yearly plan of Hajj season program.
Moreover, the resolutions included assigning Health Services for Hajj and Umrah General Department, concerned heads of committees and departments, and health services representatives to follow up tasks concerning Hajj health services, each concerned with its respective responsibility, at several stages. These stages involve arrangement and preparation stage; scheduled to be commenced as of the issuance of the decree on 7/4/1434H, corresponding to 17/1/2013, during which the revision of work procedures and Hajj health plans are conducted standing on the requirements of 1434-Hajj season. Following is the execution and follow-up stage; which starts in mid of Jamad al-Akher 1434H, during which the acknowledgement of Hajj health plans, the execution of plans and programs of Hajj health services, and the follow-up with the several stages are conducted. And finally, the field supervision stage that starts in early Thul-Qeadah 1434H, during which officials are specified, those planned have a field role in reviewing Hajj health plans and applying the amendments to potentially come up.