The National Guard Health Affairs Completed the preparations for Hajj season this year 1430-2009. It installed a fully equipped emergency clinic in Mina that accommodates 40 beds and can be increased to 50 beds when needed, the clinic is directly linked to King Abdulaziz Medical City - Jeddah.
Dr. Bandar Al Knawy the CEO of National Guard Health Affairs and the President of King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences said that the hospital is characterized by its elite specialists and consultants who are work around the clock in its intermediate care unit to treat critical cases as well as seven outpatient clinics specialized in General Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Dentistry.
The hospital also has a Statistics Department to prepare patient statistics; this includes a statistical number of patients, disease diagnosis, age and sex. These statistics will help in development plans and arrangements set to meet the requirements for the next Hajj season, it will automatically be linked to the Statistics Department in the Ministry of Health.
Dr. Al Knawy pointed out that the Arafat hospital underwent maintenance in advance and provided all required medical equipments. The hospital consists of 20 beds and five special clinics. He also added that a primary health care center was set up in Muzdalifah consisting of two clinics, a pharmacy and two ambulance cars in the camp to serve the guests of the National Guard in Muzdalifah.
Furthermore, there is an around-the-clock primary health care center in Alsharae area in Makkah to serve the members of the National Guard personnel who support the Hajj forces. On the level of coordination between the National Guard Health Affairs and the Ministry of Health in treating both sick and the injured pilgrims during a medical evacuation, Dr. Bandar Al Knawy explained that the National Guard Health Affairs has ten teams on the emergency medical evacuation plan with the other health sectors, such the Ministry of Health, the Armed Forces hospitals, the Security Forces and the Red Crescent. These teams include a fully equipped ambulance, a surgeon, a general practitioner, a nurse and a paramedic. They are on call around the clock, and two of them are based in designated locations near the bridge of AlJamart.
Moreover, regarding the precautions the NGHA had undertaken to treat the swine flu and to ensure available doses, a specialized clinic in the outpatient clinics was set up and is fully equipped in accordance to international medical regulations. The clinic is provided with special medications to treat the H1N1 and will receive suspected H1N1 patients, carry out the necessary tests and prescribe the appropriate medications. It is worth noting, that in an effort to deal with this disease, the Ministry of Health coordinated with the NGHA the transfer of patients who need to be isolated to the Ministry of Health hospitals and to transfer patients who are part of the NGHA to King Khalid Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City for National Guard - Jeddah.