Outpatient Services during (423h) Hajj Season
Journal Title: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal - Year 2006, Vol 6, Issue 1
Abstract
Objective: To analyse the pattern of patients attending the Out Patient Department (OPD) during the Hajj season 423H with respect to their age, sex, nationality, services provided to them, and most importantly the disease trends and the medication given. Method: A descriptive study was done at the OPD department in Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Holy Makkah for the 5 days period of the Hajj, i.e., -5 /2/423 corresponding to 2-6/ 02/2003. All patients who arrived at the OPD during that time whether on Hajj or non-Hajj and those who registered at OPD service became part of our study. With the help of standard “Blue Formâ€(provided annually by Ministry of Health exclusively for the OPD patients for every Hajj season), their age, sex, nationality, clinics attended, diagnosis and medications were noted. Results: Te results revealed that 3876 patients arrived and 3856 got registration at OPD. Of the registered cases, 282 (33%) were Hajj patients and of those 873 (22%) were males. Te Hajj patients were mostly non-Saudi (30.8%). Te majority of patients, 384 (26.%), were from the Middle East. Te largest category, 240 (6.2%), of Hajj patients were in the age range 5-60 years. Te medical clinic was the one attended by the maximum number of patients, 675 (43.4%), and respiratory disease cases, 582 (4%), were the commonest. Single medication as monotherapy accounted for 3644 (94.5%) of patients. Conclusion: Non-Hajj patients were in the majority at OPD. Respiratory diseases were the commonest complaints. Tis study highlights a precarious situation during the Hajj where cross-infection proliferates in a dense population. Effective services and preventative measures need to be contemplated in the light of the present finding.
Authors and Affiliations
Haani A S Shakir| Health Research Centre, Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, P.O. Box 6251, Holy Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Zohair J Gazzaz| Health Research Centre, Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, P.O. Box 6251, Holy Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Khalid O Dhaffar| Health Research Centre, Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, P.O. Box 6251, Holy Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Javeria Shahbaz| Health Research Centre, Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, P.O. Box 6251, Holy Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Keywords
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