Saudi Arabia Continues to Treat Hajj Pilgrims Suffering from Heat Stress

No diseases or epidemics were reported at this year's Hajj. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia continues to treat both authorized and unauthorized Hajj pilgrims who have suffered from heat stress as a result of the soaring temperatures in the Kingdom.

Minister of Health Fahd Al-Jalajel said Saudi health authorities treated a large number of pilgrims suffering from heat stress and many remain in treatment.

Some 1,301 pilgrims died from heat stress during this year’s Hajj. Eighty-three percent of the deceased were unauthorized pilgrims. They died after walking long distances without shelter or rest under the scorching sun during soaring temperatures.

The majority of the dead were elderly or people who suffered from chronic illnesses.

Al-Jalajel revealed that 141,000 unauthorized pilgrims received free medical treatment during the Hajj.

Saudi Arabia succeeded in organizing the Hajj despite the large number of pilgrims, which topped 1.8 million, and the challenges posed by rising temperatures.

Al-Jalajel said no diseases or epidemics were reported at the Hajj.

Head of the Infectious Diseases Department at the Armed Forces Hospitals Southern Region Ali al-Shehri told Asharq Al-Awsat that it was “very risky” for people to embark on the Hajj pilgrimage without a permit or taking the necessary vaccines.

The person is putting himself and others at risk, he warned.

A study by the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center demonstrated the effectiveness of the preventive measures Saudi Arabia is taking to limit the health impact of rising temperatures on Hajj pilgrims during their holy journey.

It noted that despite an average 0.4 percent rise in temperature in the holy city of Makkah per decade, the number of heat stroke cases dropped by 74.6 percent and fatalities by 47.6 percent. This is credited to the preventive measures in place that have provided a safe health environment to hold the Hajj.

Dr. Mohammed al-Manisi, of the Kasr al-Ainy School of Medicine in Cairo, said the main cause of heat stress is intense exposure to high temperature and poor hydration.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that humans adapt to the temperatures they live in. For example, people living in hot countries have a higher ability to adapt to high temperatures than people living in cold countries.

The symptoms of heat stress include fainting and fever, and in severe cases, kidney failure, he added.