ISLAMABAD: A dedicated team of doctors and paramedics from Pakistan has been providing round-the-clock, free of cost medical services to Pakistani Hajj pilgrims in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Health, officials said on Sunday.
This year, a total of 200,000 Pakistanis are performing Hajj, a one-time religious ritual mandatory for all Muslims who can afford it. The annual pilgrimage to Makkah is believed to be the world’s largest gathering of its kind, with over two million Muslims attending from across the globe.
“We have deployed fully equipped teams of doctors and paramedics here in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah to provide timely medical care to our pilgrims,” Pakistan’s director for Hajj, Tariq Mahmood, told Arab News.
He said the Pakistan Hajj medical mission had set up a 35-bed hospital in Makkah and a 10-bed facility in Madinah. In total, the Hajj mission is staffed with 180 doctors including 45 women doctors.
There are other medical personnel as well, including more than 100 nurses, paramedics and dispensers.
The Hajj mission hospital is fully equipped with a state-of-the-art laboratory, x-ray machine, pharmacy and dentistry, Mahmood said, adding that nine dispensaries have also been set up near the pilgrims’ accommodation.
Dr. Asif Ali, head of Pakistan’s Hajj medical mission, said that this year, the number of ambulances have been increased from 9 vehicles to 18, to deal with any emergency.
“We are providing medical care to more than five hundred patients daily,” he said.
It can be assumed this number will spike higher as more pilgrims arrive.
Patients who come in with severe and complicated disorders and diseases, Ali said, are referred to Saudi hospitals where they are provided free treatment.
“We are thankful to the Saudi government for providing the best medical facilities to Hajj pilgrims,” he added.
Pakistan’s Hajj pilgrims include elderly people, pregnant women and people with chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma, hypertension and cardiac issues who require regular check-ups and treatment during their stay in Makkah and Madinah.
“All public and private hospitals of Saudi Arabia remain fully manned during the Hajj season to provide timely medical care to pilgrims of all nationalities,” Dr. Khalid Abbas Asadi, a doctor at the Dr. Hamid Sulaiman Al-Ahmadi Hospital for 32 years, told Arab News.
He advised Hajj pilgrims to consume the maximum amount of water and fluids during the day, and get proper sleep. He also asked those with pre-existing medical conditions to take their medicines regularly.
“All Hajj pilgrims are accorded a status of VVIP guest here in Saudi Arabia, therefore it is our foremost duty to take care of them and provide them with all facilities, including medical care,” Asadi said.
Pakistani Hajj medical mission gives 24/7 free health care to pilgrims
Pakistani Hajj medical mission gives 24/7 free health care to pilgrims
- Two separate hospitals in Makkah and Madinah have been set up with 180 doctors
- Patients with complex diseases are referred to Saudi hospitals where they get free treatment
Pakistan explores ferry shipping to boost trade with Yemen, regional markets
- Pakistan commerce minister meets Yemeni envoy to discuss enhancing trade cooperation
- Yemeni ambassador calls for reviving bilateral agreements, strengthening trade mechanisms
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said on Friday that his ministry is exploring the possibility of introducing ferry-based shipping services with Yemen to cut freight costs and boost bilateral, regional trade.
Pakistan has been attempting to enhance its ferry-based services with Middle Eastern countries in recent months. Islamabad granted its first-ever ferry service license to an international operator, Sea Keepers, for routes connecting Pakistan with Iran and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in August. Last month, Pakistan’s federal cabinet approved a ferry service to Oman from the southwestern port of Gwadar to boost trade and tourism.
Khan met Yemen’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Mohammed Motahar Alashabi, in Islamabad on Friday where both sides discussed enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
“Jam Kamal highlighted the importance of creating efficient, low-cost logistics channels for small and medium enterprises and informed H.E. Alashabi that the ministry is examining the introduction of ferry-based small shipping services to reduce freight costs and improve turnaround time for regional trade,” the commerce ministry said.
“Both sides expressed confidence that sustained dialogue, improved logistics, and revival of formal cooperation mechanisms will help unlock new opportunities for trade and investment between Pakistan and Yemen.”
Alashabi expressed Yemen’s desire to expand commercial engagement with Pakistan, the commerce ministry said, stressing that Yemen continues to regard Islamabad as a “trusted partner” despite logistical and regional challenges in recent years.
He said nearly 300 Yemeni students are studying in Pakistan, highlighting strong people-to-people ties and confidence in Pakistan’s educational institutions. He stressed the need to revive bilateral agreements and strengthen mechanisms to boost trade between the nations.
Kamal said Pakistan placed a lot of emphasis on expanding trade with regional and nearby markets, adding that Pakistan’s growing entrepreneurial and SME sectors could benefit from improved access to close-proximity markets such as Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Oman.
