Saudi officials question Mecca’s preparedness as MERS spreads

MECCA — Officials in Saudi Arabia are raising alarm that the kingdom is not doing enough to prevent Mecca from becoming a route for exporting an often deadly respiratory virus, with millions of Muslims from around the world expected to converge on the city in the coming months to perform pilgrimage at Islam’s holiest site.

The calls have taken on greater urgency as Saudi Arabia — the site of the most infections worldwide — struggles to contain a surge in infections from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

Mecca, near the western Red Sea coast, has seen fewer cases than other parts of Saudi Arabia. However, most of the pilgrims from around the world who travel to Mecca go through the nearest international airport, in the city of Jeddah, which has seen far more cases.

Mecca sees a constant stream of pilgrims throughout the year from around the world and their numbers swell during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins in late June. The hajj pilgrimage brings even more gigantic crowds: About two million pilgrims packed into the close quarters as they visit the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, and other locations in and around Mecca. This year, the hajj starts in early October.

However, the Hajj Ministry’s website, which many international pilgrims refer to for information, makes no mention of MERS or special precautions. The Health Ministry’s website advises people above the age of 65, children under 12 and those who are ill to delay their pilgrimage.

MERS often starts with flu-like symptoms, but can lead to pneumonia and, in severe cases, kidney failure and death. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday the virus did not constitute a global health emergency yet. Globally, it has confirmations of at least 572 cases, including 173 deaths — mostly in Saudi Arabia.

Since the beginning of last month, Mecca has seen 21 new confirmed cases — including a Turkish pilgrim — and four deaths. Over the same period, Jeddah has witnessed 114 new infections and 23 deaths.

King Abdullah last month replaced the health minister in a sign of displeasure over efforts to control the spread of the virus. The new minister, Mr Adel Faqih, visited health workers in Jeddah on Wednesday and told them the coronavirus was spreading in part because hospitals are not taking anti-infection measures.

Only one medical facility in Mecca — the King Abdullah Medical City — is equipped to handle MERS cases, said Mr Ismail Mohammed, director-general of another hospital in the city Umm Al Qura.

“Mecca is almost considered to be free” of the virus, he said. But government policies have largely only been reactive, greater patient education is needed and there is still no “overall orientation (of anti-MERS policy) towards the pilgrims”.

Mr Adnan al-Bar, a member of Saudi Arabia’s top consultative body, the Shura Council, said the Health Ministry should be overhauled to become less bureaucratic and that Mecca’s medical infrastructure needs a rapid transformation. Already, it does not have enough facilities to provide primary care for pilgrims.

“The current healthcare system in Mecca does not cover half of the needed services,” he said. AP