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 PM to attend World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland next month
- The WEF meeting, scheduled to be held in Davos on Jan. 19-23, will focus on global challenges, public-private dialogue and cooperation
- Government, business, civil society and academia leaders will engage in forward-looking discussions to address these issues, set priorities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Switzerland next month to attend the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Pakistani state media reported on Monday.
The WEF annual meeting, themed as ‘A Spirit of Dialogue,’ will be held from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23 in Davos, where world leaders from government, business, civil society and academia will engage in forward-looking discussions to address global issues and set priorities.
Prime Minister Sharif is expected to interact with global leaders and investors on economic challenges, regional and international issues and various opportunities for cooperation.
On Monday, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar presided over a meeting in Islamabad to oversee preparations for Sharif’s upcoming visit to Switzerland to attend the WEF meeting, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Dar instructed to maximize the engagements with the incoming Heads of States, Governments and senior leadership of economic, business and financial institutions,” the report read.
The WEF meeting program will be structured around key global challenges where public-private dialogue and cooperation, involving all stakeholders, is necessary for progress, according to the WEF website.
In addressing these challenges, growth, resilience and innovation will serve as cross-cutting imperatives, guiding how leaders engage with today’s complexity and pursue tomorrow’s opportunities.
Pakistani foreign ministry officials briefed the deputy PM about preparations for the WEF meeting, according to Radio Pakistan. The participants of Monday’s meeting in Islamabad discussed in detail the bilateral component and media engagements during the visit.
“He [Dar] further stressed that opportunities be explored to foster collaboration with private sector business entities,” the state broadcaster said.
