MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia has put in place special medical evacuation plans for Hajj 2019 with emergency paramedical and medical teams positioned at the holy sites, the Holy Mosque and the surrounding squares during Hajj, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Teams involved in the implementation of medical evacuation plan and dealing with emergencies during the Hajj season held a meeting on Saturday to coordinate their work to maintain pilgrim safety, the SPA reported.
The meeting, chaired by Maj. Khalid bin Abdulkarim Al-Awdah, assistant director of Civil Defense in Makkah, highlighted efforts to enforce the medical evacuation plans especially during the peak days of Tarwiyah, Arafah, Eid Al-Adha, and Tashreeq.
The meeting also discussed procedures to support medical evacuation with ambulatory and medical teams provided by the health affairs authority in Makkah during Arafah, positioned in the vicinity of Namirah Mosque and Mount Arafat.
Participants were briefed on the level of readiness of the medical evacuation points at the holy sites’ train stations, as well as the medical evacuation teams on the train route and ways of dealing with obstacles that hinder implementing medical evacuation.
Saudi Civil Defense steps up safety plan for Hajj 2019
Saudi Civil Defense steps up safety plan for Hajj 2019
- Medical evacuation plans have been put in place for the holy sites, the Holy Mosque and the surrounding squares during the Hajj
- Around 200,000 Pakistani pilgrims will be performing Hajj this year
Pakistan PM briefs parliamentary leaders on Middle East tensions, Afghanistan fighting
- Leaders of major parties attend meeting on regional security and Pakistan’s military campaign
- Government is expected to update lawmakers on diplomatic efforts amid Gulf conflict escalation
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday started briefing leaders of parliamentary parties on rising regional tensions, including fighting along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the escalating war in the Middle East, according to a statement by his office.
The meeting comes as Pakistan has intensified military operations against the Afghan Taliban and militant groups targeting its civilians and security forces along its western frontier while the wider region faces growing instability after recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent attacks across the Gulf.
Sharif decided to convene the session to update political leaders on the security situation and Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach as tensions spread across the region.
“The prime minister will take parliamentary leaders into confidence regarding the Pakistan-Afghanistan situation and the recent tensions in the region, particularly in the Middle East and the Gulf,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
“The meeting will also highlight Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts during the recent escalation,” it added.
Representatives of major political parties, including the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and other parliamentary groups are attending the meeting.
Pakistan has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of allowing militant groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan territory, allegations Kabul denies. Islamabad says it has targeted militant hideouts across the border after repeatedly raising the issue with Afghan officials.
The briefing also comes as the government closely monitors developments in the Middle East, where regional tensions have heightened concerns about energy supplies and broader security implications for the country.
