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Haj pilgrims get medical check-ups at Dubai airport

Dubai - The DHA is one of the six government and private entities taking part in the Haj 2018 campaign.

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The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is conducting medical check-ups and sharing health tips with the Haj pilgrims departing from the Terminal 3 at the Dubai International Airport.

The DHA is one of the six government and private entities taking part in the Haj 2018 campaign, which will run until August 15 at the departures area of Dubai International Airport's Terminal 3.

The annual campaign aims to raise awareness among pilgrims on health measures that ensure a safe pilgrimage.

As part of the campaign, the DHA doctors and nurses are conducting medical check-ups, while the authority's health educators are sharing health tips on how to prevent medical issues from arising during rituals and how to use first aid kits. The DHA also gave out gift bags containing first aid kits, caps, educational booklets etc.

Dr Manal Taryam, CEO of the primary healthcare sector at the DHA, said raising awareness on health preventive measures can drastically reduce the number of health issues among pilgrims.

Dr Taryam called on pilgrims to get vaccinated at the DHA's primary healthcare centres to prevent the spread of diseases while performing Haj. "Pilgrims should get vaccinated at least 10 to 15 days prior to the journey. We advise that they take seasonal flu and meningococcal vaccines to keep them safe and healthy during the Haj. These vaccinations are available in all the DHA primary healthcare centres," said Dr Taryam.

Pilgrims at Sharjah Airport

Meanwhile, the first delegation of pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia departed from the Sharjah Airport on Monday. In cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHP), the Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA) provided medical tests and guidelines to ensure the pilgrims' safety, distributing health guide for tips and advice before, during and after the return from the Haj. In cooperation with the Sharjah Department of Islamic Affairs, the SAA also appointed a religious preacher to educate the pilgrims about performing the Haj rituals.

The authority also allocated smart gates to the pilgrims to expedite their travel process. The average transaction processing time via smart gates is approximately 20 seconds. The SAA allocated lounges to the pilgrims, facilitated their transactions and made them as comfortable as possible.

In collaboration with the strategic partners operating at the airport including the passports department, the police, customs and airlines; the SAA completed the preparations for the Haj season ahead of the schedule. The teams at the airport were prepared to provide adequate support to the pilgrims, to guide them and to facilitate their procedures within the framework of the Sharjah Airport's annual plan to expedite Hajj procedures while providing the highest level of services. The plan also extends to the pilgrims' return.

The pilgrims praised the SAA employees' efforts, the ease of procedures and the instructions that made it easy to find the places and gates allocated to them from the moment they arrived at the airport.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com