MAKKAH: A total of 5,681 pilgrims out of the approximately 17,000 pilgrims who are already in the Holy Land received medical treatment at the Tabung Haji clinics located in the accommodation hostels in Makkah and Madinah from May 9 to 28.
The figure is considered average and similar to the numbers last year, which is around four patients out of every 100 people.
Malaysian haj delegation deputy head (medical) Dr Abdul Marsudi Manah said of the total, only 34 patients were placed in the ward while the rest were allowed to leave.
"Most of the diseases that pilgrims suffer from are respiratory-related due to sudden weather changes - too hot, dusty and dry. This hot and dry weather, when we inhale we feel our throat or nose to be sore.
"We find many pilgrims who come to the clinic due to illnesses caused by the environment, from being too crowded, dry, hot and dusty," he told the media, yesterday.
According to Dr Marsudi who is also a Public Health Specialist at the Sabah health department, some of the pilgrims forget or do not have the opportunity to take their medicine according to the schedule, most likely due to their excitement over being in the Holy Land.
He said the TH medical team regularly conducted room-to-room visits to emphasise to the congregation the importance of wearing face masks especially when in crowded places even though the Covid-19 pandemic is under control.
"The use of this mask is not only to avoid Covid-19 but also other viruses. Here in the Holy Land there are hundreds of countries not only from Southeast Asia but also from the African continent, so we do not know what virus these pilgrims have ," he said.
There are 278 health officers at the TH clinics from various disciplines and departments.
"We don't just provide medical specialists. They are also assisted by medical officers, nurses, assistant medical officers and laboratory support units, but we also provide nutritionists as well as dental and physiotherapists," he said.