Safety for all pilgrims
AFAKE news video last week about scores being killed during a hotel collapse in Mecca must have caused great consternation for the families in many countries, including South Africa.
It was, however, an evacuation drill that had probably been recorded on a cellphone and distributed by an over-enthusiastic pilgrim from a distance, as the advent of high-quality cameras in phones these days makes everyone a budding photojournalist!
Almost one million people from all over the globe gather for the annual five-day Hajj pilgrimage, which ended yesterday (Tuesday), and “news” about a catastrophic event could have resulted in unnecesary grief and concern.
Truth is that after visits last week to the inside operations of several institutions in Mecca, I can say with certainty that the safety and security of not only the million or so pilgrims who gathered for Hajj from all over the globe, but also that of locals who joined them, was the primary concern of Saudi authorities.
Both the official security forces and the civilian Red Crescent organisation showed the media contingent their preparedness for any eventuality during the Hajj.
At the Red Crescent headquarters, scores of volunteers manned a call centre where the target is to respond to any incident, from a heart attack to a toothache, in under three minutes.
This is given as a Key Performance Area for every person manning the telephones, who immediately alert the relevant nearest ambulance, hospital, fire station or police station to assist the caller. Facilities are also available for callers in several languages, including Urdu and English.
The scores of volunteer paramedics, who had converged from all over the country on the Red Crescent headquarters in a suburb close to the Hajj sites standing in front of their ambulance, reminded me of the great work that the few volunteers at the Saaberie Chishty Ambulance Society in Lenasia do so valiantly as a free community service.
The big difference though is that while they have to rely on donations and their own fund-raising efforts like an annual gala banquet, Red Crescent in Saudi Arabia is fully funded by the government. But the state does not rely solely on Red Crescent for dealing with emergencies.
The National Security Operations 911 Centre in Mecca, started just two years ago, features state-of-the-art technology where more than 80 cameras in one room and 50 in another monitor critical points in Mecca, especially the sites forming part of the Hajj rituals, 24/7.
Special teams immediately transfer details of any incident spotted to a section where the necessary action is initiated. Such incidents can range from crowds becoming too large and needing to be diverted to traffic congestion requiring detours.
We also visited the Qura University, where we gained fascinating insights into how teams of well-trained researchers have been using technology to improve the structures and facilities used by the pilgrims.
Most enlightening was the serious attempts being made this year to get the pilgrims to buy into sorting waste at source.
Officials said one of the biggest issues at Mina, for example, where pilgrims spend the night in the open as one of the compulsory rituals of Hajj, is the huge amount of waste left behind.
Tens of millions of plastic water bottles discarded during the heatwave, that went up to around 50°C at times, are a huge challenge. But there are concerted efforts being made to raise environmental awareness among not only local citizens, but also the pilgrims from abroad.
Among other projects undertaken by the university are food safety and sanitation exercises to world-class standards.
Fakir Hassen is currently in Mecca in Saudi Arabia as part of a media contingent invited by the country’s Ministry of Media. In a series of articles, he will share some of the planning and behind-the-scenes activities of the annual pilgrimage of Hajj