MAKKAH: The health authorities in Makkah are spending millions on medical services for Umrah pilgrims, Dr. Khalid Obaid Zafar, Director General of the Health Affairs Directorate, said here Saturday. The eight-month Umrah season peaks in Ramadan when a record three million pilgrims from around the world are expected to land in Makkah. Ajyad General Hospital, King Abdul Aziz Hospital, Noor Specialist Hospital, Maternity and Pediatric Hospital and Hera General Hospital are all extending services to the Guests of Allah, said Zafar. There are also five well-equipped dispensaries serving pilgrims around-the-clock at the Grand Mosque, he said. Most of the workload is on these five dispensaries and on Ajyad General Hospital because they are close by, he said. The Directorate of Health Affairs has also been operating 10 ambulances to carry emergency cases to Noor Specialist Hospital or King Abdul Aziz Hospital. The directorate has provided 10 consultants of all specialties with extra paramedic staff to Ajyad Hospital to work during the Umrah season, said Zafar. A two-bed cardio intensive care unit fitted with the necessary equipment, along with cardio pulmonary resuscitation, is being used for the benefit of pilgrims suffering from heart ailments, said Zafar. Women pilgrims requiring treatment for specific gynecological ailments are referred to the Maternity and Pediatric Hospital. Patients with excessive bleeding requiring operations are also sent to this hospital, said Zafar. The hospitals also treat patients for appendicitis, ulcers, hernias and diabetic ulcers. The Ajyad Hospital laboratory is fully equipped with computerized machines to conduct all pathological examinations. A separate unit for X-rays and ultrasound helps with correct diagnosis, said Zafar.
