About 250 volunteer female doctors and nurses and other medical specialists are providing first-aid work in the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Dr. Abrar Thabit, a clinical pharmacist and head of the team, said the group working under the Saudi Red Crescent Authority is made up of doctors, pharmacists, nurses and students in medical specializations. The team started its work with the beginning of Ramadan and will work until the end of the holy month, said Dr. Thabit, who added that the number of volunteers has increased more than six times since program started in 2004. Dr. Thabit pointed out that the Saudi Red Crescent Authority has provided equipment to support teams, which operate in several locations in the women's prayer areas. “The team's work focuses on the weekends and it will double its efforts during the last ten days of Ramadan, which is the peak period, when the number of visitors to the Grand Mosque increases,” she said. “The team will be ready to administer first aid, with equipment for measuring vital body functions, oxygen masks and medicine provided by the Ministry of Health.” The team is set up to ensure that each site has the appropriate medical personnel and equipment, she said. “The team members are sent to several locations and every site has a female doctor and a pharmacist who are equipped to provide first aid to emergency cases at these locations and the surrounding areas. Work starts after Asr, which is around 4 P.M. and ends after Taraweeh prayer. On odd-numbered nights during the last 10 days of Ramadan, the team's work will continue until the end of Tahajjud prayer.” Volunteers must meet several conditions before they are approved to work on the team, Dr. Thabit said. “Female doctors, pharmacists and nurses are accepted provided they work full-time during the time they are required to participate,” she said. “Female students of health specializations are accepted if they have a license in cardiac-lung resuscitation and approval from their guardians. Priority is given to those in the advanced stages of their studies. Also, all volunteers must attend the introductory meeting for the team, which is held annually in Makkah and Jeddah before starting field work for the team in Ramadan.” Dr. Thabit wants to attract more people to help and expand the team's services in the years ahead. “Until now, the team has provided first-aid services at 11 locations in the women's prayer areas at the Grand Mosque in Makkah,” she said. “We are looking forward to increase the number of our locations to cover as many of the women's prayer areas in the Grand Mosque as possible. We hope to increase the number of volunteering women doctors who work in family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine and other specializations.” Dr. Thabit said she did not anticipate creating a year-round volunteer team in the Grand Mosque. “The basic work of the team is to provide field service during the peak period when movement is difficult and almost stops, the way it occurs in Ramadan,” she said. “Other than this, the health services provided by the five health centers belonging to the Ministry of Health that are distributed in the Makkan Haram is sufficient. They work throughout the year in providing health services to the guests of Allah.”
