The Civil Defense has adopted a comprehensive plan to protect Haj pilgrims this year, said Lt. Gen. Sa'ad Bin Al-Twaijri, Director General of the Civil Defense in the Kingdom. Al-Twaijri made the comments while addressing the annual preparatory meeting of the commanders of the Civil Defense at the headquarters of the body here, Sunday. Also present at the meeting was Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Qerni, the new Commander of the Civil Defense. Al-Twaijri said that pilgrims from all over the world appreciate the preparations that the security forces make every year. He said Al-Qerni and the other commanders were selected to oversee the plans because of their experience. Al-Twaijri said the Civil Defense has rapid deployment teams ready to handle any emergency, including the possibility of floods. In this regard, the Civil Defense is coordinating its work with the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment, he said. It was important for all officers and non-commissioned officers to be fully aware of their responsibilities and tasks during Haj, he added. Al-Qerni said preparations for this year's Haj started immediately after the successful completion of last year's Haj season. This included ensuring that the Civil Defense has the necessary machinery and equipment. On the health front, Jeddah's seaport and airport have been equipped with medical centers to receive pilgrims. “We have hired 579 doctors and medical experts to work at King Abdul Aziz International Airport and 138 doctors for Jeddah Islamic Port. Both locations will operate 24 hours a day until the end of the Haj season,” said Sami Badawood, Director of Health Affairs in Jeddah. “We have equipped several medical centers and clinics with all the necessary facilities,” he said. According to Badawood, the Jeddah Health Affairs Department has set up specialist clinics to administer the required vaccines and drugs in case of a flu outbreak. “Pilgrims who need specialist medical care will be transferred to hospitals in Jeddah and will receive free treatment and medicines,” said Badawood. The Ministry of Health has asked pilgrims to make sure that they are vaccinated against meningitis, cholera, yellow fever and dengue fever. “We have already vaccinated staff working at the airport and seaport, as well as those working at the health centers,” said Badawood. Meanwhile, 208,041 pilgrims have so far arrived in Madina as of Sunday evening. Out of these, 27,851 have left Madina for Makkah after a stay of over a week in the city. The largest number of pilgrims arriving in Madina — 43,478 — are from Indonesia, followed by 32,276 from India and 26,374 from Turkey, the Haj Committee secretariat said.
