Ministry Of Health Forms Emergency Medical Team To Suppress The Death Of Hajj Pilgrims

DOC/Jemaah haji prostrates with gratitude after arriving at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya. (ANTARA/Umarul Faruq).

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health formed an Emergency Medical Team (EMT) tasked with reducing the morbidity and mortality of Indonesian pilgrims during the 1444 H / 2023 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

"One of the strategies for organizing hajj health this year, we have prepared specialist doctors as EMTs who are placed in each sector, so that medical emergencies are handled more quickly," said Head of the Haji Liliek Health Center, Marhaendro Susilo, as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, May 18.

EMT was previously known as the Rapid Action Team in charge of early detection and emergency response to any medical events that befell pilgrims.

The team responded to the situation by carrying out referrals for pilgrims who needed treatment at the Indonesian Hajj Health Office (KKHI) and the Saudi Arabian Hospital (RSAS).

EMT is filled with 15 specialist doctors consisting of anesthesia, internal medicine, surgery, nerves, and heart disease. In addition, 12 general practitioners and 43 emergency service room nurses were also prepared.

The emergency health workers were alerted to provide health services in five sectors of the Madinah work area and 11 sectors of the Mecca work area adjacent to the Hajj congregation's cottage.

The goal is to facilitate access to health services to pilgrims, especially emergency conditions that cannot be handled by Hajj health workers in the cluster.

EMT is also on standby at special sector posts at the Prophet's Mosque, Syib Amir Terminal, Grand Mosque, Arafah, and Mina. EMT is mandated to accompany the movement of pilgrims, especially at the peak of the pilgrimage or at the Armuzna phase.

EMT also collaborated with the First Aid Crisis Handling Team at the Hajj Pilgrimage (PKP3JH), the Hajj Congregation Protection Team (Linjam) and the Elderly service recruited by the Ministry of Religion.