ICU patients taken to holy sites in Makkah to perform Hajj

Convoy included 10 ambulances and a specialised medical team comprising doctors, nurses and paramedics

Saudi Arabia arranged a convoy of ambulances to carry critically ill patients from Madinah to Makkah to perform Hajj.

Every year, Saudi health authorities arrange for patients in hospitals to be taken to holy sites to complete their pilgrimage.

The convoy of 10 ambulances embarked on the 450-kilometre journey on Tuesday.

It was accompanied by five back-up ambulances, an intensive care ambulance, a vehicle with an integrated oxygen cabin, a mobile workshop and a bus to transport the spouses and relatives of patients.

Special medical teams comprising doctors, nurses and paramedics accompanied the patients on their pilgrimage.

Read the latest updates on the Hajj pilgrimage here

ICU patients were able to embark on their Hajj pilgrimage from Madinah to Makkah with the help of a specialised team of health professionals.

Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be undertaken by all Muslims who have the means to do so at least once.

The Saudi Ministry of Health convoy for inpatient pilgrims set off on July 5, after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The annual ritual involves transporting pilgrims from Madinah hospitals to the holy sites in Makkah, 450km away, to allow them to perform Hajj.

The Saudi Ministry of Health said the convoy included 10 ambulances, with a specialised medical team comprising doctors, nurses and paramedics. Five backup ambulances, an intensive care ambulance, an integrated oxygen cabin, a mobile mechanic workshop, and a bus to transport patients’ spouses and relatives have also been provided.

Every year, Saudi Arabia provides free health care to millions of people who arrive for the Hajj pilgrimage, with treatments ranging from simple check-ups to dentistry and life-saving heart surgery.

More than 43,000 pilgrims have benefited from these services in Makkah and Madinah this year, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health said.

The government bears all costs of medical care and treatment, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and include cardiac catheterisations, childbirth and dialysis, among other surgeries.