Series of Interviews: Saudi Red Crescent
Before we proceeded to the next hospitals, we went to meet with Saudi Red Crescent Society in their Headquarter led and coordinated by Dr. Zohair Al Aseri and with the full support and assistance of Mr. Abdulaziz Aldhowian, the Secretary of His Royal Highness Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the Chairman of the Saudi Red Crescent Society and the Honorary Chairman of the Saudi Society for Emergency Medicine.
He helped us talk briefly to the Director of the Saudi Red Crescent Society at the Holy Capital Dr. Khalid Al-Habashi. He warmly met us and introduced us to Dr. Rashid Al-Eid, the Medical Services Manager at the Saudi Red Crescent Society. However, before Dr. Habashi left us, he told us the important role of Saudi Red Crescent Society in Emergency cases, in his own words; "Saudi Red Crescent Society in has been established for dealing the emergency cases as its initial stage. (pic of al habeshi)
Dr. Rashid Al-Eid started by providing us with the statistics of the team of the Saudi Red Crescent Society working during this Hajj 1429H season.
-The number of rescuers is 632 rescuers
-The number of drivers is 314 drivers
-The number of doctors is 35 qualified doctors
-The number of paramedical is 8
-The number of health workers is 990
-The number of the rescue teams is 350
-The number of motor cycles is 15
-The number of rapid intervention team is 4
-The total number of the working team is 1250
Dr. Rashid Al-Eid relayed to us the importance of Saudi Red Crescent Society in this mass gathering. He said;
"The emergency medicine represents half of the work of the Saudi Red Crescent Society besides the other works of the Society such as external relief and efforts made externally. Also our presence is very important during the Hajj season especially the number of pilgrims this year exceeds three million pilgrims. Actually we have to be ready and prepared in such limited area with many pilgrims. We have to be ready for handling the emergency cases and deal with people from various countries and nationalities. The emergency medicine is accompanying the mankind wherever he is. In such big gathering of pilgrims we expect anything that can happen such as spreading of a disease or leaking of gas and outbreak of fire or collapse of buildings. Also most of the pilgrims came from different cultural background and most of them are not as young as before. All these circumstances require us to be ready at the emergency sections and with various specializations."
Furthermore, he told us about the the slogan Saudi Red Crescent Society for Hajj season 1429H;
"The one who rescues is just like the one who saves all people."
In conclusion, Dr. Rashid said;
"In fact the Saudi Red Crescent Society is considered as part of a world organization which is the Red Crescent or Red Cross Organization that aims at serving the humanity throughout the world – with various languages, cultures and colors, without any discrimination"
