ID :
501800
Sat, 08/18/2018 - 07:15
Auther :

Unsung Heroes Serving The Servants of God During Haj

From Mohd Razman Abdullah  MAKKAH, Aug 18 (BERNAMA) -- As Saudi Arabia prepares to host more than three million Muslims in Islam's holy city to perform their haj, security and safety measures including crowd-management, aerial patrols, 911 call centre and health emergency assistance services are all ever ready to serve the servants of god.  Crowd-management is handled by the Security Forces, air patrol by General Security Aviation Command,  the 911 call centre by the National Center for Joint Security Operations (NCSO) and health emergency assistance services by Health Ministry.  Their personnel are the unsung heroes who work round-the-clock to keep security, public order and public safety in the two Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah, keeping an eye out for unwanted incidents which could be anything ranging from terrorist attacks and heat strokes to stampedes.  According to the Commander of Grand Mosque Security Forces Major General Muhammad al-Ahmadi, about 1.8 million pilgrims from around the world will be performing the tawaf ritual around the Kaabah, and each person is monitored and calculated through electronic methods.  “The entire Haj area has very well-trained units to cope with all kinds of extraordinary situations and protect participants from all potential dangers,” he told the international media during their visit to the Masjidil Haram recently. Muhammad said the Crowd Management Operations Room is equipped with giant screens showing the mass movements of the pilgrims and accompanying security units under the watch of thousands of cameras. The commander of  the National Center for Joint Security Operations (NCSO) Maj. Gen. Abdurrahman bin Mohammed Al-Saleh said the center receives around 70,000 reports every day,  which include crime reports, traffic accidents, lost persons and airport delays.  “Phone operators can handle calls in numerous languages and dialects.The main thing is that we want the pilgrims to feel they are safe here in Saudi,” he told Bernama.  Meanwhile, the Aviation Command carries out security operations to monitor haj situations from above and provide logistical assistance to government bodies.  According to the Saudi Health Ministry, medical facilities have been provided in Mecca, Madinah and the Holy Sites with a total of 25 hospitals including more than 5,000 beds. According to the Center for The Government Communication’s website https://hajj.media.gov.sa/en/, the ministry has also employed 25,000 medical personnel in Mecca, Madinah and the Holy Sites to serve the guests during Haj season. -- BERNAMA

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