Insurance companies in the Kingdom are looking at the possibility of providing comprehensive insurance policies to pilgrims. The more than 21 companies are proposing health and accident insurance to cover medical expenses and compensation for accidents, injury and death. The insurance would also cover medical evacuation expenses and transportation of the corpse in case of death. The issue will be referred to the Ministry of Health for approval once the companies have completed their studies. Dr. Khalid Marghalani, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said there were no plans, however, to impose compulsory health insurance on pilgrims. Marghalani said the ministry had started operating three months ago a system for gathering health statistics for the 1429 Haj season involving 250,000 employees, 14 hospitals and over 120 health centers. He added that there is an electronic system that allows officials to swiftly determine health conditions via screens and cameras that have been installed at various points in Makkah and the holy sites. The number of occupied beds in hospitals will also be observed, especially in intensive care units, to facilitate the transfer process.
