157 ambulances readied for pilgrims

RIYADH: A fleet of 157 ambulances will be deployed during the Haj season at holy sites, a senior official from the Ministry of Health said Wednesday. “The fleet of ambulances includes 100 mini-ambulances and 57 large vehicles which will be used to ferry sick Hajis from medical clinics to hospitals at the holy sites,” Tariq bin Salim Al-Arnoos, chairman of the Emergency and Field Medical Services Committee of the Ministry of Health, announced. He added that the fleet included 30 new mini-ambulances which were introduced this year. “We have deployed mini-ambulances so that the vehicles can navigate through the masses of pilgrims, who would be using the roads and alleys,” the official said, adding that the Saudi Red Crescent Authority will also deploy air ambulances to transport patients in emergency situations in cooperation with the General Authority for Civil Aviation. “The services will be intensified during the period of ‘Tashreeq’ (Dul Hijjah 11, 12 and 13) in places such as Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina,” he noted. To offer comprehensive service to the pilgrims, Al-Arnoos said the mobile units would move with the pilgrims during the final phase of the Haj from Arafat to Muzdalifah, and then finally to Mina during the time when pilgrims perform their various Haj rituals. The entire fleet of ambulances are fully equipped with all modern facilities to carry ICU patients on board. “The medics and paramedics who will be in the ambulances are trained and competent to handle all types of patients in emergency situations,” he said. In cooperation with the Civil Defense, he said the Ministry of Health has also drawn up an emergency plan for evacuations, accidents and disaster response. Helipads have been arranged at five hospitals to receive patients who need emergency treatment during the season. The hospitals include King Abdullah Medical City, Al-Noor General Hospital, Emergency Hospital in Mina, Arafat General Hospital and Hira Hospital. The ambulances and vehicles used by the medics have also gone through maintenance tests to ensure that they are in good working condition. Al-Arnoos explained that the total workforce in the field of medical teams will comprise 830 medics and paramedics. They will include 138 at the Jamrat bridge, 87 in the precincts of the Masjid Al-Haram and 605 officials in various locations within the Haj areas. He pointed out that there were will be 24 medical teams operating near the Al-Namira Mosque and the Mount of Al-Rahma in cooperation with the Saudi Red Crescent Authority. -arabnews