By Neelam Rahim

Health authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have treated 43,425 pilgrims before this year’s Hajj, which begins on Wednesday, the Saudi press association reported Monday.

Between May 31 and July 3, the ministry figures show pilgrims received five open-heart surgeries, 66 cardiac catheterizations, 182 dialysis sessions, two endoscopic procedures, and 95 surgeries.

Over 290 pilgrims have been admitted to hospitals, and one woman gave birth.

Four-stroke cases were also identified through the utilization of the health ministry’s virtual hospital, and over 740 pilgrims had consultations with healthcare workers through the Sehhaty health app.

In Makkah, Madinah and the ritual locations for Hajj, Saudi authorities have readied 23 hospitals and 147 clinics with a combined capacity of 4,654 beds, including 1,080 ICU beds.

As the Hajj is happening in one of the hottest months in Saudi Arabia, there’ll even be 230 beds for pilgrims affected by heat prostration.

An army of 25,000 health practitioners is readily available to serve worshipers during the annual religious event.

The shadow of a brand new virus looms over the horizon, raising the inevitable question of whether monkeypox is the subsequent global health crisis.

According to AlKhaleej Today, The unprecedented increase in cases is concerning. Still, the threat may be controlled, says Dr Abdullah Algaissi, a virologist and prof at the faculty of medical sciences at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia.

Noting that it’s still not clear whether monkeypox is an airborne virus or not, he told Arab News: “While the most route of infection is sexual contact or contact with blisters or rashes of infected persons, there’s evidence suggesting that monkeypox is transmitted through the system.”

What is known is that close and extended contact with an infected person must happen for contamination to occur.

For identical reasons, per Dr Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and director of the Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic, monkeypox should not be a major concern during the upcoming Hajj season.