Volunteer Health Teams Commence Operations For Hajj Pilgrims

The volunteer teams of the 16th season of the Health Volunteering Program for the current Hajj season have commenced their duties at the holy sites, aiming to serve pilgrims effectively. The teams initiated their work today, preparing for standing at Arafat by distributing volunteer healthcare points in Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifah, and along pedestrian routes. This aligns with the pilgrims' movement plans to ensure high-quality field healthcare services.

Additionally, preventive, awareness, and educational measures have been activated to reduce serious injuries. Over 130 field volunteer teams have reached key locations in the holy sites. They cover the Al-Jamarat Bridge, which has four levels in Mina, to provide primary healthcare and promote health awareness.

Jasser bin Abdullah Al-Shehri, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Primary Health Care Charity Society (Derhum Weqaya), which implements the voluntary health program, stated that 550 volunteers received an intensive training program. This program covered both theoretical and field aspects for six consecutive days, totalling over 9,000 training hours.

Al-Shehri indicated that the teams also received specialized training to handle common health conditions during Hajj. These include heat stress and sunstroke differentiation, diabetic foot injuries, exhaustion cases, disaster triage, and identifying cases requiring referral to healthcare centres.

The teams arrived in Mina early in the morning, well-prepared at pre-equipped locations. This was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Their arrival marks the commencement of their duties for this Hajj season.

The efforts of these volunteer teams are crucial in ensuring that pilgrims receive timely and effective healthcare services during their spiritual journey. The comprehensive training and strategic placement of healthcare points are designed to address any health issues that may arise during Hajj.

With inputs from SPA