Ways to request virtual medical consultations for pilgrims during Hajj
The Saudi Ministry of Health, represented by the Seha Virtual Hospital, announced the continuation of virtual medical consultations for pilgrims during this year's Hajj season. This strategic step aims to enhance access to comprehensive healthcare and enable pilgrims to receive accurate and timely medical guidance. This initiative is fully aligned with the objectives of the Health Sector Transformation Program, a key pillar of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to digitize and streamline medical services.
Development of healthcare in the holy sites
Over the decades, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has dedicated all its resources to serving the pilgrims of the Holy Mosque in Mecca, witnessing remarkable historical development in medical services at the holy sites. In the past, care relied primarily on field hospitals and mobile health centers deployed in Mecca and Medina. With the increasing number of pilgrims annually, the wise leadership recognized the importance of integrating modern technology into medical crowd management. Today, the shift from traditional care to telemedicine services represents a qualitative leap, with the virtual health hospital leading an integrated digital system that ensures a rapid and effective response without requiring patient movement. This reflects the Kingdom's historical and ongoing commitment to developing the Hajj system.
Channels for providing virtual medical consultations to pilgrims
To facilitate communication with pilgrims from diverse languages and cultures, the Ministry of Health has provided several innovative digital channels. Foremost among these is the unified call center (937), which offers its services in seven international languages: Arabic, English, French, Turkish, Persian, Urdu, and Indonesian. This linguistic diversity breaks down language barriers and facilitates communication between pilgrims of different nationalities and medical personnel.
In addition, the “My Health” app allows pilgrims to receive immediate medical consultations through various channels, including audio, video, and text. Users can also share previous medical reports, discuss lab results, and easily obtain and fill prescriptions electronically. The Ministry has also recognized the role of social media platforms, providing the X platform as an additional channel for responding to pilgrims' health inquiries.
Field and specialized support via technology
As part of its support for healthcare services in the field, the role of the virtual health hospital extends beyond individuals to include providing precise, specialized remote consultations to health centers throughout Mecca and Medina. This is done through the "Consult Plus" service, available in both Arabic and English, which supports both domestic and international Hajj campaigns, thereby enhancing the efficiency of field medical staff and improving the quality of care provided during peak Hajj season.
The local and international impact of digital health transformation
The launch of these digital services has far-reaching implications. Locally, this transformation helps alleviate the immense pressure on physical hospitals and healthcare facilities in the holy sites, allowing medical staff to focus on handling emergency and critical cases more efficiently. Regionally and internationally, the Kingdom’s success in managing the health of millions of pilgrims using virtual technologies provides a global model for mass gathering medicine. This pioneering experience demonstrates the capacity of Saudi Arabia’s digital infrastructure to deliver safe and effective care, enhancing the peace of mind of pilgrims and their families throughout the Muslim world and reaffirming the Kingdom’s leadership in harnessing technology to serve humanity.
