MINA: This year's Haj was given a clean bill of health by Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeah, Minister of Health, here Thursday. He said there was no outbreak of epidemic diseases and that the vast majority of pilgrims enjoyed good health. At a press conference held Thursday morning in Mina, he said: “In line with the directives of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Crown Prince and the Second Deputy Premier, the Ministry of Health has mobilized all its physical and technical resources to provide the highest standards of healthcare and to maintain the well-being of Guests of Allah so that they could perform their religious duties with ease, comfort and peace of mind.” He said the Ministry of Health has implemented a number of preventive measures, including setting health requirements and “updating them regularly based on scientific evidence and endorsement by the World Health Organization”. The ministry has also ensured early detection of infectious diseases by implementing a strict surveillance process at all ports of entry for pilgrims arriving by air, land or sea. “This surveillance helped prevent the entry of infectious diseases in the Kingdom,” said Al-Rabeah. State-of-the-art information technology systems, such as remote digital monitoring cameras at all healthcare facilities at the holy sites has also been introduced. In addition, there were more criticalcare beds and the provision of the world's most advanced laboratory equipment to identify any new viruses, bacteria and fungi. Al-Rabeah said the ministry has also assisted more than 370 pilgrims in the ascending from Mina to Arafat by ambulances, and helped transfer 37 pilgrims in ambulances from Madina to Makkah.
