Saeed Al-Khotani Saudi Gazette MINA — Saudi Arabia has declared this year's Haj season free of epidemic or contagious diseases. Addressing a press conference in Mina on Sunday, Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeah said no cases of contagious diseases have been detected so far. “So, I announce the Health Commission's conclusion that the Haj season of 1433AH (2012CE) is free of any epidemic or communicable diseases, “ the minister said. The current Haj season is winding down with the pilgrims starting to leave the Mina valley Sunday afternoon after a three-day stay following their return from Arafat at the peak of the Haj. However, many pilgrims will stay back in the tent city to continue the Jamarat stoning for a fourth day, which is optional. The minister said these results were achieved after a series of measures taken by the Ministry of Health over the past several months. These measures included the application of the updated health requirements on all pilgrims, early epidemiological surveillance at all ports of entry, including land, sea and air, through its 16 health control centers. The ministry also reinforced epidemiological surveillance teams at the Haj sites to take samples of patients and subject them to tests in local and international laboratories. This is in addition to developing and upgrading the therapeutic services at the holy sites, Makkah and Madinah. Al-Rabeah said around 363,000 pilgrims visited the ministry's facilities seeking medical help. Of them, 463 pilgrims had cardiac catheterization, 35 pilgrims had open-heart surgery, 2,024 received hemodialysis treatment, and 443 sick patients were assisted to perform Haj. Al-Rabeah said the Kingdom would continue to follow the health status of pilgrims and visitors, including the results of laboratories for infectious diseases, until the last pilgrim returns to his home country.
