Medical convoy: interfacility transfer of hospitalized patients during Hajj season 2019
Authors:
Haytham A Sheerah,
Anas A Khan,
Fahad A Alamri,
Ghadah Alsaleh,
Yasir Almuzaini,
Ahmed A Alahmari,
Nomai N Mukhtar,
Mariyyah Alburayh,
Lamis Alabdullatif,
Bandar S Almutairi,
Jalal M Alowais,
Hani Johkdar
Background: Millions of Muslims gather annually in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for pilgrimage (Hajj). Several medical conditions need specialized care when transfer outside the hospital. However, providing healthcare to emergency cases in such unparalleled mass gatherings is challenging. This study aimed to describe medical conditions transferred by the medical convoy team in well-equipped ambulances to Arafah in Makkah during the Hajj season in 2019. Methods: Patients’ data were extracted via a standardized electronic evaluation form. The treating physicians made the primary diagnoses in the admitting secondary or tertiary healthcare facilities. Results: Out of 274 transferred patients, 36.1% were older adults (>60 years), 55.8% were men, 59.9% were Asians, and 36.4% were Africans. The primary diagnoses were: cardiovascular diseases (26.7%), fractures (16.1%), respiratory diseases (15.3%), gastrointestinal diseases (12.8%), skin infections (10.3%), metabolic disease (4.7%), neurological or psychiatric diseases (4.7%), and urogenital diseases (3.6%). In addition, older adults contributed 50.0% to respiratory diseases, 46.2% to metabolic diseases, 37.1% to gastrointestinal diseases, 34.1% to fractures, 32.9% to cardiovascular diseases, and 30% to urogenital diseases. Conclusions: Cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as fractures, contributed to most of the transferred medical conditions transported in the medical convoy in Makkah during the Hajj season in 2019. Older adults contributed to more than a third of the transferred patients.
Keywords: Hajj; Mass Gatherings; Healthcare; EMS; Convoy
Authors
Correspondence to:
Lamis Alabdullatif, Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia Lalabdullatif@moh.gov.sa
Publication history:
Received 10 Jan 2024
Accepted 04 Mar 2024
Published online 15 Jun 2024
Sheerah HA, Khan AA, FAA, Alsaleh G, Almuzaini Y, Alahmari AA, Mukhtar NN, MA, Alabdullatif L, Almutairi BS, Alowais JM, Johkdar H. Medical convoy: interfacility transfer of hospitalized patients during Hajj season 2019. SJEMed. Online First: 15 Jun, 2024. doi:
10.24911/SJEMed.72-1704795659
Sheerah HA, Khan AA, FAA, Alsaleh G, Almuzaini Y, Alahmari AA, Mukhtar NN, MA, Alabdullatif L, Almutairi BS, Alowais JM, Johkdar H. Medical convoy: interfacility transfer of hospitalized patients during Hajj season 2019. https://sjemed.com/?mno=184548 [Access: September 16, 2024]. doi:
10.24911/SJEMed.72-1704795659
Sheerah HA, Khan AA, FAA, Alsaleh G, Almuzaini Y, Alahmari AA, Mukhtar NN, MA, Alabdullatif L, Almutairi BS, Alowais JM, Johkdar H. Medical convoy: interfacility transfer of hospitalized patients during Hajj season 2019. SJEMed. Online First: 15 Jun, 2024. doi:
10.24911/SJEMed.72-1704795659
Sheerah HA, Khan AA, FAA, Alsaleh G, Almuzaini Y, Alahmari AA, Mukhtar NN, MA, Alabdullatif L, Almutairi BS, Alowais JM, Johkdar H. Medical convoy: interfacility transfer of hospitalized patients during Hajj season 2019. SJEMed, [cited September 16, 2024]; Online First: 15 Jun, 2024. doi:
10.24911/SJEMed.72-1704795659
Sheerah, H. A., Khan, . A. A., , . F. A. A., Alsaleh, . G., Almuzaini, . Y., Alahmari, . A. A., Mukhtar, . N. N., , . M. A., Alabdullatif, . L., Almutairi, . B. S., Alowais, . J. M. & Johkdar, . H. (2024) Medical convoy: interfacility transfer of hospitalized patients during Hajj season 2019. SJEMed, Online First: 15 Jun, 2024. doi:
10.24911/SJEMed.72-1704795659
Sheerah, Haytham A., Anas A. Khan, Fahad A. Alamri, Ghadah Alsaleh, Yasir Almuzaini, Ahmed A. Alahmari, Nomai N. Mukhtar, Mariyyah Alburayh, Lamis Alabdullatif, Bandar S. Almutairi, Jalal M Alowais, and Hani Johkdar. 2024. Medical convoy: interfacility transfer of hospitalized patients during Hajj season 2019. Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine, Online First: 15 Jun, 2024. doi:
10.24911/SJEMed.72-1704795659
Sheerah, Haytham A., Anas A. Khan, Fahad A. Alamri, Ghadah Alsaleh, Yasir Almuzaini, Ahmed A. Alahmari, Nomai N. Mukhtar, Mariyyah Alburayh, Lamis Alabdullatif, Bandar S. Almutairi, Jalal M Alowais, and Hani Johkdar. "Medical convoy: interfacility transfer of hospitalized patients during Hajj season 2019." Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine Online First: 15 Jun, 2024. doi:
10.24911/SJEMed.72-1704795659
Sheerah, Haytham A., Anas A. Khan, Fahad A. Alamri, Ghadah Alsaleh, Yasir Almuzaini, Ahmed A. Alahmari, Nomai N. Mukhtar, Mariyyah Alburayh, Lamis Alabdullatif, Bandar S. Almutairi, Jalal M Alowais, and Hani Johkdar. "Medical convoy: interfacility transfer of hospitalized patients during Hajj season 2019." Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine Online First: 15 Jun, 2024. Web. 16 Sep 2024 doi:
10.24911/SJEMed.72-1704795659
Sheerah, H. A., Khan, . A. A., , . F. A. A., Alsaleh, . G., Almuzaini, . Y., Alahmari, . A. A., Mukhtar, . N. N., , . M. A., Alabdullatif, . L., Almutairi, . B. S., Alowais, . J. M. & Johkdar, . H. (2024) Medical convoy: interfacility transfer of hospitalized patients during Hajj season 2019. Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine, Online First: 15 Jun, 2024. doi:
10.24911/SJEMed.72-1704795659