The Ministry of Health, represented by Al-Ahsa Health Affairs Directorate, continues to provide health services to pilgrims through the Epidemiological Surveillance Centre in Salwa and Al-Bat’ha Ports.
Both centres conduct various investigation procedures. Every pilgrim is interviewed by an officer of the same nationality to ensure that the individual has been vaccinated against meningitis and the likes. Recording the number of pilgrims is also part of the procedures. A dose of the vaccine is given to pilgrims who have never been vaccinated before, as well as pilgrims who were vaccinated less than 10 days before arrival or more than three years ago. A dose is also given to those coming from African meningitis belt countries and those who acknowledge that they are unvaccinated, even though they may have the meningitis vaccination card.
Moreover, preventative medicine is offered to pregnant women, adults and children.
The centres provide health awareness activities and distribute brochures and stickers, which are in various languages, among pilgrims. In addition, the centres inspect pilgrims’ foods and prevent non-canned food. The centres, also, offer vaccination against yellow fever and poliomyelitis, apply the required procedures on non-vaccinated pilgrims in accordance with the Ministry’s instructions through implementing special instructions of specific countries that require its pilgrims to be vaccinated. Moreover, the centres apply the procedures on non-vaccinated pilgrims.
These centres execute different curative services such as providing every essential emergency and curative drug. Also, they provide the necessary medical devices required to offer first aid in severe cases and road accidents. The centres operate a clinic for males and a separate clinic for females that provide preventative and curative treatment, test all pilgrims, follow-up any illness or chronic diseases, ensure pilgrims’ safety, sign the medical examination for any ill pilgrim and prescribe the necessary drugs.
Road accidents and cases that need (second level) medical treatment are transferred to King Fahad Hospital in Hofuf. In coordination with custom employees, drugs and medical products with pilgrims are tested and licenced.
Furthermore, the centres are fully equipped to follow up emergency and referral cases. Highly qualified doctors are assigned to deal with such cases by initiating tests, evaluating the severity of the case, taking affirmative action and referring patients if necessary to be transported by a modern ambulance.
In addition, Al-Ahsa Health Affairs Directorate offers health awareness programs at ports that including: big instructional banners in places frequented by pilgrims, distribution of various awareness booklets on buses that carry pilgrims, awareness brochures in different languages as well as DVD videos in Arabic and other languages to raise pilgrims’ awareness. Moreover, the centres have medical stickers and awareness graphics to illustrate the correct behavior. If the package (Hamla) has a doctor, it is stressed to him the importance of giving awareness lectures to pilgrims.