by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Islamabad : At least 42 Pakistani pilgrims have died of various causes during the ongoing Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, officials from the Pakistani Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony said here.
Of 42 victims, 30 were male and 12 female. Most of them died of suffocation or in road accidents, Xinhua news agency quoted the officials as saying.
The dead pilgrims were aged between early 40s and late 80s.
According to the ministry officials, 184,210 Pakistani pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia under government and private programmes to perform Haj this year.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Markets, Muslim World, Technology
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia will introduce free sleeping pods during this year’s Haj starting on Sunday.
Between 18 and 24 modern hotel capsules will be offered to pilgrims to nap in for free in the coming six days, said the Haji and Mu’tamer’s Gift Charitable Association.
These free nap pods — each less than three meters long and just over one meter high — will be placed in Mina, a western city near the Holy city of Mecca, reports Xinhua news agency.
The pods provide a space in which pilgrims can change their clothes, take a shower and store their luggage and valuables.
It is a solution for pilgrims of limited means who cannot afford to book hotels on site but need a quick rest during the Haj.
A person has three hours of access to the pods. When the pilgrim wakes up for prayer time, workers will clean the pod before handing it over to the next person, he said.
Haj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to the Saudi city of Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims, is expected to draw two million people from around the world this year.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Makkah : Around 7,411 employees are working around the clock in order to deliver adequate and improved telecom services to pilgrims. The Communications and Information Technology Commission supervises the services in accordance with authorized service providers.
According to the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat), the number of branch offices of telecom services reached 69 offices in Makkah this year, and the total number of 2G, 3G and 4G cell towers was 15,972 towers and that is to ensure and extend the coverage of mobile network and data in Makkah, Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat, Madinah and at the Grand Mosque. Additionally, telecom and Internet services are available at air, land, and sea ports as well as all roads to serve pilgrims at anytime and anywhere.
The percentage of increase in the number of 4G cell towers was at 42.90% at the Grand Mosque, 24.40% in Makkah, 106.00% at the holy places, and 24.50% in Madinah. Also, the percentage of increase of 4G network capacity at the peak hours for this year reached 80.00% at the Holy Mosque, 84.00% in Makkah, 182.00% at the holy places, and 36.30% in Madinah.
The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has launched ‘’Smart Hajj’’ application this year on ‘’Saudi’’ portal to provide digital services. Moreover, the ministry has also made a list of the distinguished interactive apps in order to identify Hajj rituals and to help pilgrims to benefit from technology when moving between the holy places. Also, the ministry has put a number of guidelines, health apps and some government applications that may help pilgrims and Umrah performers in Makkah and Madinah.
In addition, the Communications and Information Technology Commission branch in Makkah periodically checks the sound and internet indicators, ensures their effectiveness, scans the frequency bands of mobile networks at the Two Grand Mosques as well as the connected highways between Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah to ensure the quality of mobile services. It also deals with any harmful interference that may affect the performance of the network and allows the use of frequencies of each mobile service provider to increase the capacity of the network and improve the level of services provided to pilgrims in Makkah, Madinah and the holy places.
Saudi Arabia’s telecommunications companies have more than 460 sales points available at the holy places to provide SIM cards, data SIM cards, and recharge cards, as well as providing technical support centers with various languages to serve the pilgrims.
—AG/UNA-OIC
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Makkah : The General Authority for Statistics announced that the number of healthcare providers for Hajj 2018 has exceeded 32,579, of which 9,216 are women.
In addition to healthcare practitioners coming from the Ministry of Health, Saudi Red Crescent, and the Food and Drug Authority, there are a number of personnel who provide healthcare services from security and military sectors. The number of medical and paramedic teams that serve Holy Places during Hajj of 2018 has reached 959 teams.
On its daily Hajj statistics bulletin, the Authority stated that the Kingdom has utilized all of its resources and capabilities to provide healthcare, treatment, prevention, and emergency services free of charge. These efforts are carried out by 29,495 of the Ministry of Health’s physicians, pharmacists, nurses, technicians, and administrators. The services include: open heart surgery, cardiac catheterization, renal and peritoneal dialysis, gastrointestinal endoscopy, as well as child deliveries.
The number of working hospitals has reached 25 hospitals in Makkah and Holy Places, with a combined capacity of 4,814 beds. In addition, there are 153 health centers, 106 field teams in Holy Places, and 100 small ambulances. There are cars that function as mobile ICUs to treat urgent cases as well as 80 large ambulances.
So far, the Ministry of Health’s hospitals have performed 142 cardiac catheterizations, 9 open heart surgeries, 761 hemodialysis, 39 gastrointestinal endoscopy, and 568 operations.
The Saudi Red Crescent dedicated 127 emergency centers, 361 ambulances, 20 bikes, and more than 2,867 staff members in Makkah, Madinah, and Holy Places.
All the medical and paramedic teams perform their duties round the clock 24/7 until the fifteenth day of the month of Hajj. The involved authorities have devised comprehensive programs and plans to ensure that all the needs of pilgrims are met. The program includes procedures for emergency cases, utilizing a unified approach to providing medical, prevention, treatment, and emergency services. Using the most advanced healthcare practices, the services are delivered by experienced and skilled healthcare providers for pilgrims and visitors to Makkah, Madinah, and Holy Places, and the roads leading to them.
In addition to healthcare services provided on-land, some services were delivered via air ambulance.
The Food and Drug Authority manages a team of 215 food, drug, and medical equipment inspectors. They support inspection agencies that are responsible for inspecting pilgrims’ meals in Makkah, Madinah, and Holy Places. From the 7 services they provide: inspecting food, drugs, medical equipment coming in through various ports, monitoring food facilities in Makkah, Madinah, as well as inspecting vehicles.
—AG/UNA-OIC
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Jeddah : The number of Hajj pilgrims coming from outside Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the Hajj season until the end of Tuesday reached 1,570,054 pilgrims.
According to the statistics issued by the General Directorate of Passports, this represents a decrease of 15,183 or about 1 percent, compared to the number of pilgrim arrivals during the same period last year.
The General Directorate of Passports reported that the number of pilgrims coming by air reached 1,473,659 pilgrims, by land 80,569 and by sea 15,826.
—AB/UNA-OIC
