Amid very hot weather, during the annual haj pilgrimage, in Mina, Saudi Arabia, June 18, 2024, Muslim pilgrims stroll with umbrellas on the third day of the Devil Stoning Ritual. — Reuters
Out of the overall 1.8 million pilgrims who visited Hajj 2024 this year, Saudi Arabia’s government has reported that it offered preventive medical services like early detection, immunisations, and medical treatment upon arrival to more than 1.3 million pilgrims.
Speaking in a television interview, Saudi Minister of Health Fahd Al-Jalajel revealed that the Kingdom’s health system offered more than 465,000 specialised treatment services, including 141,000 services to people without formal permission to conduct Hajj.
The minister underlined also that although some were still under treatment, their health system handled many cases of heat stress this year.
According to the minister, the success was made possible by combined efforts of the health system and the Hajj security personnel guaranteeing no known epidemic or general disease outbreak.
Al-Jalajel also disclosed that the Kingdom’s services included dialysis, open-heart operations, cardiac catheterization, emergency care, totalling over 30,000 ambulance services, with 95 air ambulance operations guaranteeing the delivery of advanced health services in medical cities all around the nation.
Furthermore made available by the nation’s healthcare system were about 6,500 beds and rooms.
Dealing with the losses during this year’s pilgrimage, the official admitted that 1,301 people died during Hajj 2024 of which 83% were unauthorised to perform the pilgrimage in the first place and had to walk great distances under direct sunlight without enough shelter or comfort.
“May God pardon and show the departed kindness. We really sympathise with their families. May God embrace their deeds and award them atonement for their sorrow,” the preacher stated.
“Despite the initial absence of personal information or identity documentation, all reports have been assembled, families of the dead informed, and identification completed. With death certificates supplied, proper procedures were followed for identification, burial, and honouring the departed.” he said.