100-bed Hospital for Pilgrims Opened in Jeddah
Our CorrespondentJEDDAH Saudi Minister of Health Dr Abdullah Al Rabeah inaugurated a 100-bed hospital in pilgrims city in Jeddahs Al Muhammadya district on Thursday. Al Rabeah said the pilgrims city is equipped with all medical equipment and trained technical staff.
“Some 590 medical and para-medical staff are working round-the-clock to serve the pilgrims,” he said, and urged the medical staff and pilgrims to follow health advice and guidelines issued by the ministry of health.
Brochures on medical safety printed in various languages are being distributed at holy sites and ports of entry among pilgrims. According to Dr Ziad Memish, assistant deputy health minister for preventive medicine, authorities will begin vaccinating hundreds of thousands of health and other Haj workers as well as domestic pilgrims against swine flu from next week.
Meanwhile, the Cooperative Office for Call and Guidance in Riyadh is organising free Haj tours for new Muslims who have embraced Islam while working in Saudi Arabia.
Nouh N. Al Qarain, the organisation’s director in Riyadh, said that the number of new Muslims applying for Haj is on the rise every year.
He said that the centre in downtown Batha requires SR1.25 million for organising free Haj package tours for around 500 new Muslims this year.
“The number of applications from new Muslims has reached 500 for this year’s Haj, as against 300 in 2008,” he said.