Mina: Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, security spokesman at the Ministry of Interior, said in a press conference in Mina on Tuesday that more than 100,000 security forces have been deployed to ensure a safe and hassle-free Hajj.
Meanwhile, Col. Sami Al-Shuwairekh, director of the public relations and media department at the Public Security, said more than 400,000 pilgrims without a Hajj permit and 208,236 vehicles carrying them have been sent back from the entry points of Makkah. A total of 1,841 expatriates are facing penal action and they were handed to the Public Prosecution or other concerned agencies to take necessary procedures against them. A total of 3,296 vehicles carrying them were seized from the entry points, he said while addressing a joint press conference held at the headquarters of Public Security in Mina.
Mishal Al-Robaian, spokesman of the Ministry of Health, said there are no epidemics, including cholera, reported among the pilgrims. He said that it was ensured that all the pilgrims who crossed their borders to the Kingdom are free from contagious diseases. “The ministry has readied 25 hospitals and 155 health centers in Makkah and Madinah, in addition to more than 100 ambulances to serve the pilgrims. There are over 285 special rooms to deal with cases of sunstrokes and heat exhaustion,” he added. The ministry has readied four hospitals with a capacity of 600 beds each in Arafat. They include Al-Rahmah, Arafat General, Namirah and East Arafat hospitals, aside from 46 health centers in Arafat that will operate on the day of Standing in Arafat.
The number of pilgrims who have been screened at the health monitoring centers at Jeddah airport and Islamic Port has reached 955,316 since the beginning of the Hajj season until Monday. The ministry said the number of pilgrims who have been vaccinated against poliomyelitis has reached 243,936 while those vaccinated against meningitis totaled 859,763. As to those who were given the preventive vaccine, they reached 163,688 pilgrims. Meanwhile, the number of pilgrims who visited the health monitoring centers at KAIA reached 59,999.
Hatem Qadi, advisor of Minister of Hajj and Umrah, said that a total of 19,500 buses were used to transport pilgrims from Madinah to Makkah. Around 9,000 buses are being used to transport pilgrims from Makkah Haram to Mina. On his part, Col. Abdullah Al-Harthy, spokesman of the Civil Defense, said there were no accidents reported so far among the pilgrims. “The number of agencies taking part in implementing the Civil Defense’s emergency plan has been increased from 19 to 32 this year,” he said, adding that the Civil Defense conducted five drills in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah as part of ensuring its operational efficiency.
HA/IINA
