JEDDAH Dr. Ziyad Meimish, Undersecretary for Public Health at the Ministry of Health, said the ministry recommended barring of pilgrims from two African countries from entry during the Haj this year after reports about outbreaks of contagious diseases in those countries.
He said after closely monitoring the situation by the ministry's scientific committee, it recommended preventing entry of pilgrims from the two countries.
Dr. Meimish said the health situation of pilgrims until the 10th of Dhul Hijjah has been reassuring and that no epidemic or quarantine diseases have been registered. The Ministry of Health is monitoring and following up pilgrims' health closely through field reports and the control room in the ministry.
Meimish said the ministry deals with any suspected contagious disease immediately and speedily through electronic registration and sending field teams so as to take samples and confirm such events by laboratory tests and dealing with the cases by isolating them, as the ministry has 10 mobile quarantine rooms.
Dr. Meimish disclosed that the Ministry of Health conducts a number of scientific researches in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO). These include studying the causes of diarrhea and
inflammation of the respiratory system through samples taken from the pilgrims. The results of this scientific research will be published subsequently, he said.
Abdulrahman Al-Ali - Saudi Gazette
