Riyadh Medical Teams Perform 24 Open-Heart Surgeries on Pilgrims
Specialist medical teams in Makkah have been hard at work during the Hajj season, successfully completing 24 open-heart surgeries on pilgrims, as reported by the Ministry of Health on Monday.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), a total of 249 pilgrims underwent cardiac catheterizations, while 1,006 received dialysis operations. Additionally, 4,082 pilgrims were admitted to hospitals and medical centers in Makkah to receive necessary health care.
Since June 15, over 142,000 pilgrims have benefitted from a range of health services provided by healthcare centers in Makkah city and Mina, including medical and specialized clinics, pharmacies, dialysis centers, intensive care rooms, and isolation units.
Air Evacuations Save Lives
In a separate report, SPA highlighted the efforts of a medical team from Ajyad Emergency Hospital, part of the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Health Cluster, in saving the life of a 53-year-old Egyptian pilgrim.
The patient, experiencing chest pain, was quickly diagnosed with a life-threatening heart clot. Urgent action was taken, and the patient was transferred to King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah for specialized medical care.
Two critical cases involving a 62-year-old Egyptian pilgrim and a 48-year-old Tunisian required helicopter evacuations from hospitals in the holy sites to the King Abdullah Medical Complex in Jeddah, according to another SPA report.
Dr. Mahdi Othman, head of the KAMC’s Intensive Care Department, explained that both cases developed severe pneumonia while performing Hajj rituals, leading to respiratory failure. They were placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation life support and closely monitored in the intensive care unit.