Hospitals in Makkah and Medina have so far conducted 1,400 surgeries on pilgrims during the Hajj season this year, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj has announced on Friday.

The Health Ministry said it has performed 147 heart bypass operations and seven open heart surgeries during the last month.

The ministry stated that there have been 901 cases of kidney dialysis, 42 endoscopy procedures and 307 surgeries.

The total number of visits to emergency centers in Makkah and Medina hospitals has reached 11,837. That’s while health centers in both cities have registered 17,974 outpatient clinic visitors and a further 139,281 visitors.

The ministry provides specialized services to pilgrims free of charge every hajj season that include open heart surgeries, bypass operations, renal dialysis, and endoscopy and childbirth.

On Field Facilities

On field medical facilities this year include 100 ambulance cars that operate as mobile intensive care units. Furthermore, additional 80 large mobile ambulance centers were also provided. The ministry has also placed 29,000 medical practitioners to work round the clock at the pilgrimage sites this year.

Saudi officials has also recruited 9,600 personnels to insure the safety of the pilgrims. These personnels provide the emergency aids in case of any incident during the annual pilgrimage of hajj.

The ministry has also announced launching a campaign to vaccinate all individuals involved in Hajj against meningitis and influenza.

The health of arriving pilgrims will be monitored under the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the USA’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).