UAE pilgrims are well and safe: Mission chief

Makkah: All UAE pilgrims in the holy lands are well and safe and no serious diseases have been detected among them so far, Dr. Abdul Karim Al Zarounie, Head of the Medical Committee of the UAE Official Haj Mission, has affirmed.

''Those who frequented the health clinics associated with the Missions or the Haj contractors found to be suffering from diseases that are common during the Haj season,'' he said in an interview.

''The 55 member Medical Committee is closely monitoring the health condition of the UAE pilgrims according to a plan especially designed for that purpose. We have assigned ten hotlines and an e-mail address around the clock to receive reports and answer health enquiries of pilgrims,'' he added.

''We are fully ready to offer any medical assistance to any Haj operator through our mobile medical teams who can handle cases, which operators' clinics could not treat, on the spot,'' he added.

He explained that his Committee was coordinating regularly with the Saudi hospitals in regards to critical cases for further medical care.

On the inventory of medicines with his Committee, Dr Al Zarounie said :''We have a strategic stockpile of medicines that cures chronic diseases like blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac disorders, asthma and other diseases. We also have antibiotic and anti-viral drugs including those treating the H1N1 flu.

''Having a stock of medicines that is far much than our needs, we have distributed some of these medicines to the health clinics of Haj contractors free of charge so as to prescribe them to patients but under our supervision,'' he said.

As for the precautionary measures to ward off the H1N1 flu, Dr Al Zarounie said ''We have fitted a separate six storey building with 200 beds for isolation. A team from the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority is running and operating the isolation facility along with the medical committee team.

''The country's leadership is closely following up the health condition of the UAE pilgrims and the Health Minister, Dr Hanif Hassan, is getting assure of the health well-being of the pilgrims every day,'' he said.