The health teams at Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) have undertaken precautionary measures to prevent the importation of epidemic diseases upon the arrival of first group of pilgrims at the port. The JIP Health Surveillance Center has implemented all health and preventive plans to provide health care for the first group of pilgrims arriving by sea.
The Director of JIP Health Surveillance Center, Dr. Adel Turkestani, pointed out that the Kingdom has harnessed all medical and human potentials for serving the pilgrims around the clock, by qualified medical crews and medical equipment available at the center. He also highlighted the readiness of all centers employees, including medical, technical and administrative crews, whereas about 100 fe/male specialists in all medical, preventive and technical specializations have been mandated to service pilgrims arriving by sea.
“The first pilgrim ship has arrived at the port yesterday from Sudan, carrying 1,030 pilgrims. They have undergone all preventive and therapeutic procedures in addition to preventive treatment against bacterial meningitis infection, as well as verifying the certificates of vaccination against yellow fever,” said Turkestani. He added that the health teams who handled the arrival of the first pilgrim ship have not detected any infectious diseases, thanks to Allah, and indicated that the situation is reassuring.
Within the same vein, Turkestani underscored that the center will keep on implementing its strict measures meant to prevent the importation of any communicable diseases into the Kingdom, by means of implementing all preventive and precautionary aspects set by the Ministry of Health (MOH). As for the implementation of the preventive procedures on pilgrimage arrivals, he explained that these procedures start with health awareness on board, in accordance with the MOH's directives and health requirements, after meeting with the navigation agents contracting with pilgrim-transport ships, in addition to meeting with the ship crew, in order to start awareness works, provide pilgrims and passengers with special messages in the form of posters and leaflets, and put them in prominent places on board. The awareness activities also comprised displaying visual shows, including health guidelines and tips for pilgrims.