BANGKOK, 3 July 2013 – The Ministry of Public Health has held a seminar for medical staff who will travel with Thai Muslims on their pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Narong Sahamethapat said 42 health professionals will be stationed in Saudi Arabia temporarily to ensure the well-being of Thai Muslim pilgrims during their stay in Mecca and Medina.
As a large number of Muslims from all over the world travel to the two holy cities every year to participate in the Hajj pilgrimage, transmissions of diseases among the pilgrims are often inevitable. Therefore, Dr. Narong stated that the medical team has been instructed to particularly look out for respiratory diseases, such as coronavirus and tuberculosis, as well as digestive diseases, such as cholera and food poisoning.
The Ministry of Public Health has produced 20,000 brochures containing information on health precautions and preventive measures against infectious diseases for distribution to the pilgrims ahead of their departure. The brochures are in three languages – English, Thai and Arabic.
The medical team will stay in Saudi Arabia from September 5th–November 20th.
