The Office of Pilgrimage Affairs has announced its preparedness and early readiness to provide the best services and care for the country’s pilgrims in the holy lands, addressing all their needs with dedication and responsibility.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that it has finalized all arrangements concerning the care of pilgrims, particularly senior citizens, during the Hajj season. This includes preparations prior to travel, performing rituals, and returning home, as well as updating travel guidance pages on its website and mobile app. This aims to offer accurate, up-to-date information, including necessary compliance requirements. The ministry encourages pilgrims to register themselves or their families in the “Tawajudi” service through the website, mobile app, or WhatsApp, and to keep the designated emergency hotline for citizens: 0097180024 for immediate support when needed.
Moreover, the ministry advised that carrying a copy of essential identification documents will facilitate the issuance of a “Return Document” in case of loss, damage, or theft of a passport, which can be processed within 30 minutes.
Before the Hajj season, the Ministry of Health and Prevention launched a unified awareness campaign themed “Healthy and Safe Hajj” in collaboration with various health authorities in the country. This initiative highlights crucial health guidelines that pilgrims should follow before, during, and after their journey.
The campaign includes providing various services, such as a downloadable guide available on the ministry’s website in multiple languages, responding to health-related inquiries from pilgrims, and maintaining continuous communication with accompanying medical teams to supply them with necessary medications and medical consultations, as well as mental and behavioral support.
Additionally, the campaign emphasizes the importance of receiving essential vaccinations before traveling, such as for meningitis, seasonal influenza, and pneumococcus, while also promoting adherence to preventive guidelines throughout the Hajj period.
Continuous Monitoring
Dr. Essam Al-Zarouni, a member of the Health Affairs Committee within the Pilgrimage Office, confirmed that the committee is responsible for monitoring the health status of the country’s pilgrims before and after their arrival in Saudi Arabia. This includes conducting necessary medical tests and administering vaccinations, along with providing guidance on how to perform the rituals in a safe and healthy manner.
He stated that the committee is equipped with a specialized medical team with all necessary devices and equipment, ready to deliver essential health services at all sacred site camps, ensuring an ample supply of medicines and medical solutions. If a pilgrim’s condition requires hospitalization, they will be referred to one of the specialized hospitals in coordination with the relevant Saudi authorities, while ongoing oversight will be conducted by the medical team from the committee.
Comprehensive Plan
The General Authority for Islamic Affairs, Endowments, and Zakat has outlined a complete plan to ensure that the country’s pilgrims can perform their Hajj rituals smoothly and easily this year, focusing on enhancing their understanding of the rites innovatively.
The office also announced the departure of pilgrims and national groups from various airports to Saudi Arabia, coinciding with the activation of the second phase of the approved medical procedures for handling the pilgrims during their stay in the holy areas for the Hajj.
The office noted that the first phase of these medical procedures was carried out domestically, which involved communication with campaign doctors to prepare lists entailing comprehensive descriptions and classifications of cases within each campaign and raising lists of those with chronic diseases, elderly individuals, and pregnant women, as well as individuals with special needs.
It clarified that the system required campaign doctors to conduct informative and educational workshops for the pilgrims according to their health conditions, followed by documenting these cases in updated medical reports, ensuring the adequacy and quality of medications, and verifying that individuals received the appropriate vaccinations.
The office confirmed that the second phase, which has now commenced, involves the Pilgrimage Office’s medical committee monitoring the medical conditions listed in each campaign by communicating with campaign doctors and verifying the effectiveness of the protocols in place before the rituals begin.
As the movement toward the rituals in Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah begins, the medical committee will coordinate with the relevant Saudi authorities to benefit from all the facilities and services provided by the Saudi administration.
The office also detailed the third phase of the medical system, which will start as the movement towards the sacred sites commences. This phase involves providing specialized clinics for both men and women in Mina, deploying mobile medical teams across camps, activating hotlines for communication with pilgrims and campaign doctors to address urgent medical inquiries, and ensuring compliance with established medical standards through field inspection teams.