Syria implements safety health measures for Hajj season

Damascus, July 26, SPA -- Syria's Ministry of Health began making
arrangements and preparations to carry out the decisions and
recommendations issued by the extraordinary session of the Health
Ministers of the Eastern Mediterranean which was held last week in
Cairo regarding the H1N1 Flu pandemic and the necessary arrangements
for Hajj season.

In an official statement on Saturday, Syria's Minister of Health Dr.
Rida Saed pointed out that the decisions of the health ministers on
preventing people, with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high
blood pressure, kidney, heart and liver diseases and obesity as well
as people above 65 years of age and children below 12 years, from
performing Hajj and Umrah this year, have been endorsed because these
groups are highly vulnerable to diseases and more likely to have
health complications that could be fatal.



He said these people should delay Hajj due to the risk of suffering
serious complications if infected with H1N1 Flu, noting that they
should also avoid being in crowded areas in general.

The Syrian Minister pointed out that these steps are consistent with
the current stage of the pandemic, and that further steps will be
taken if there were greater risks, noting that the Syrian Hajj Health
Mission this year will be headed by Director of Department of
Environmental and Chronic Diseases at the Ministry in order to
provide necessary health services to protect citizens from the Flu.

He added that the Syrian medical mission will have clinics set up at
Makkah and Madinah and will be ready to provide quality health
services to Syrian pilgrims, including precautionary services and
seasonal flu vaccines.


--SPA