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Friday, May 16, 2014

Hajj has become a center for the spread of "Corona"

Report reveals: Hajj has become a center for the spread of "Corona" There is no clear plan to deal with it

تقرير يكشف:الحج قد يصبح مركزاً لانتشار "كورونا" ولا تُوجد خطة واضحة لمواجهته
Date Published: 16/05/2014
Ramallah - minimum home
In the first investigation to news agency "Associated Press" virus "Corona" and the possibility of spread of the disease through the Hajj, and appeared in the international media, criticized the agency twice the health authorities and the lack of clear plans to deal with the virus in the pilgrimage season, citing the absence of posters warning about the virus at airports, especially Jeddah International Airport, in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and criticized the lack of any information guidelines or programs warn of disease in public places in Mecca and in the courtyards of the Haram, and was amazed at the lack of any guidance or signals about the disease in my Ministry of Hajj, the Saudi Ministry of Health, and are concerned to serve the pilgrims.

It also shed light on the agency of health facilities in Mecca, and its inability to respond to the deadly virus in the pilgrimage season.

The agency said: "The officials in Saudi Arabia, raising alarm that Saudi Arabia is not doing enough to prevent Mecca from becoming a location and a way to export respiratory virus killer among millions of Muslims from around the world who gathered in the city to perform the pilgrimage."

The report added: Saudi Arabia is struggling to contain the escalation of injuries from pneumonia, the Middle East or "Merz," where the country has seen most of the injuries in all parts of the world so far, more than 500 injured since 2012, and during the past few weeks has accelerated numbers with many of the deaths reported it almost every day, and new infections are often in the double digits.

The report went on: yet Mecca, near the Red Sea coast, the west, has seen fewer cases than other areas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and since the discovery of the first case of the virus, "Corona" in 2012, there was a Mossman of the annual pilgrimage to the city, and there are no cases injury among the pilgrims, where some of the cases that have emerged out of Saudi Arabia, including two in the United States, foreigners returning home from work in the Kingdom of Saudi travelers or abroad. "

The rising number of cases in the UK, what is worrying is the lack of adequate precautions taken in Mecca, which is a hot spot and clear potential for the spread of the disease, according to the report.


Experts say: You need the Saudi Ministry of Health to be moving faster to create more public awareness, promote testing and analysis are more stringent in hospitals and take precautions best among the medical staff, who make up a large proportion of those infected because of unsanitary conditions in health facilities.

The report added: Makkah is witnessing a constant flow of pilgrims throughout the year from all over the world, and their numbers swell during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins in late June

The pilgrimage season - which Islam affirms that it is the duty of all Muslims who are able to perform once in their lives, it brings the crowds more than the magnitude of about two million pilgrims from all over the world, and gather in tight places; they visit to the Kaaba the holiest site in Islam, and other sites around Mecca, where the visit will last about five days and will begin the pilgrimage this year in early October

The report pointed out that most of the pilgrims international arrivals to Mecca come across the nearest international airport in the coastal city of Jeddah, which has seen the largest number of cases, however there are no posters in the airport or the Grand Mosque warns of virus or give visitors information about how to prevent its spread , and that was evident during the recent visit by a reporter, "The Associated Press" through the airport in Jeddah, in the Grand Mosque where roams the pilgrims.

The report added: website of the Ministry of Hajj, which is visited by many pilgrims international For information, does not mention the virus, or the urge to work special precautions, and the website of the Ministry of Health advised people over 65 years old, and children under the age of 12 who are suffering from the postponement of their pilgrimage.

He added the report: Since the beginning of April, saw the Mecca 21 new confirmed case, including the status of one of the pilgrims Turks, and four deaths during the same time period, where there were 114 new cases in Jeddah and 23 deaths, and saw Asia's first case of death due to virus Last month, when a man from Malaysia trip pilgrimage to Mecca and Jeddah from across where he returned in March, and found that he had wounded infected.

The report also pointed out that King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, has replaced the health minister, last month, in a sign of dissatisfaction with efforts to curb the spread of the virus, and visited the new minister Adel Faqih, health workers in Jeddah, and said to them: "The virus is spread among working in the medical field; because hospitals do not take measures in the fight against infection. "

According to Ismail Mohammed, a director of the hospital in Mecca: has been equipped medical facility and the only one in the city of Mecca, King Abdullah Medical to deal with cases infected with the virus.

He said Ismail Mohammed, told the agency: "The Mecca almost free from the virus, but warned that steps should be taken to ensure that it remains so, and the policy of the government to a large extent rely solely on the reaction, and there is a need to further educate the patient and there is no So far, no general trend in anti-virus policy toward the pilgrims. "

He explained Adnan bar, who served for years as director of public health in Mecca, it should be updated and the Ministry of Health to become less bureaucratic because the medical infrastructure in Mecca need to be a quick turnaround, and indeed we did not have enough facilities to provide primary health care to pilgrims.

"The bar:" The current health care system in Mecca does not cover half the necessary services, and fortunately the virus is not contagious too, has been observed to spread from person to person only in close contact, such as family members or workers in the field of health care, who are interested persons injured.

In the same context, according to the report, the WHO said on Wednesday that the virus does not constitute yet global health emergency, in all parts of the world and the World Health Organization has assurances from the 572 case at least, including 173 deaths, with the vast majority in the UK Saudi Arabia 0.160 deaths and 514 confirmed cases since 2012, according to government figures.

The virus often begins with flu-like symptoms but can lead to pneumonia and breathing problems and in severe cases, kidney failure and death, and scientists are not sure exactly how people can be infected with the disease but suspect link with the disease camels.

She sharihan Mufti, need Egyptian She is 61 years old wore a mask surgically blue They roam around the Grand Mosque, which houses the Kaaba, where the visit, her first to Mecca, and she wanted to be cautious, but says the opportunity to pray in the courtyard of the Kaaba dispel any fears about the virus , and she wondered: "Is there anything more beautiful after this? hope to come every year."