Improvement of TH medical service reduces number of deaths, patients

MINA: The improvement of the medical services undertaken by the Tabung Haji ( TH) Medical Delegation in the holy lands can be deemed successful as the number of deaths or pilgrims admitted to hospital has seen a decline over the years.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said among the initiatives taken by the delegation was setting up the TH Syisyah Medical Centre, which was seen to have achieved its objective to reduce the number of pilgrims who fall ill or die during the haj.

“The medical centre was set up two years ago and they have improved it further by providing minor surgery service, an isolation room and two mini ambulances,” he told the media after visiting the centre here yesterday.

He said the quality of services provided at the medical centre had continuously been improved to ensure that Malaysian pilgrims would be able to get the best medical service for free while they were in the holy lands.

Furthermore, Mujahid said the Wukuf Safari Programme introduced in 2016 had also been seen as successful in helping pilgrims who were unable to walk to be present at the Plain of Arafah to perfom the wukuf by travelling in buses which had been modified into mobile hospital.

“For this year, the medical delegation had used eight fully modified buses to bring 117 ill pilgrims, along with 78 medical staff and six welfare staff to perform the wukuf, which is the peak of the haj,” he said.

However, the minister said there were four Malaysian pilgrims who could not perform the wukuf this year as they were in coma in a Saudi Arabian hospital in Makkah.

Mujahid said 10 deaths had been recorded during this haj season so far, compared to 25 deaths recorded in the corresponding period last year.

“Of the 10 deaths, nine occurred before the day of wukuf in Arafah, while the other one occurred just after wukuf, reportedly due to heart ailment.

“In comparison with last year, the preparations and initiatives taken by the TH Medical Delegation had indeed succeeded in reducing the death toll this year,” he said.

So far, Mujahid said 16 Malaysian pilgrims had been admitted to local hospitals, while 149 others were receiving treatment at TH medical centres, all in Makkah.

Apart from the improvement done at TH medical centres, the introduction of general health service conducting health talks and room visits had also helped in reducing the number of patients and deaths among Malaysian pilgrims this year.

“This year, we also have general medical officer who makes roomtoroom visit proactively to identify pilgrims who are unwell and given them early treatment so that their health conditions would not worsen,” he added. — Bernama