Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Surgeries that are not urgent and critical will be put on hold until the end of haj season, according to the Health Affairs Directorate. Jeddah Health Affairs Directorate spokesman Abdullah Al-Ghamdi said health institutions would still perform urgent and critical surgeries on all categories of patients. "All hospitals in the Jeddah governorate will delay performing surgeries that are not urgent and can be delayed until after the Haj season is over. The directorate will redeploy all its resources to serve pilgrims without jeopardizing patients' lives," Al-Ghamdi said, adding that the delayed surgeries would not put patients at risk. Saudi authorities face a stupendous challenge in ensuring the health of more than 2 million pilgrims who converge on the holy cities from within the country and abroad during the pilgrimage season. Optometrist and eye surgery consultant Dr. Yasser Al-Mazroui said operations that could be delayed included vision correcting laser surgery, removing warts near the eye, eyelid surgeries and other cosmetic surgeries done to the eye. "The surgeries that cannot be delayed include those for sebaceous cysts, accident cases, procedures to control bleeding and others. Such operations must be done immediately or else the patient's life will be in danger," Al-Mazroui said. Women's health consultant and obstetrician Dr. Mohammad Qattan said urgent surgeries, such as appendectomies, caesarian section for women in labor, surgeries for pregnancies outside of the womb, strokes, intestinal blockages, and others would not be put on hold. "Other surgeries such as liposuction and similar plastic surgeries or form correction surgeries will be delayed as they do not pose any immediate danger to the patient and are not time-sensitive," Qattan said.
