“During the holy month, we are implementing a special health plan in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah to provide preventive and curative services to the pilgrims who patronize these two cities,” Al-Rabeeah said in a statement issued on Saturday.

He pointed out that the Makkah has established a number of health and first aid centers in and outside the Grand Mosque.

The directorate is also coordinating with the Jeddah and Taif Health Directorates since local and international pilgrims pass through these two cities.

The plan includes establishing a new health center on the second floor of the Grand Mosque.

With this new center, there will be five centers that would operate round the clock during Ramadan inside the Holy Haram.

“We have also set up the fifth first aid center in the precincts of the Holy Mosque which would treat emergency cases that would require medical attention due to overcrowding,” the minister said.

As a preventive measure, the minister said that teams of health officials are deployed at all air, sea and land entry points to check the incoming pilgrims have complied with the quarantine requirements spelled

out by the government.

The official said that all foreign pilgrims will be effectively checked to ensure that they have received the recommended vaccinations from the countries of origin.

“Those who have not taken vaccinations for meningitis and other recommended vaccines according to their nationalities, will be given such doses at the entry point as a preventive measure,” he said.

Around one million local and foreign pilgrims visit the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah during the holy month.

The Umrah season began in January and will end on Sept. 24 to give authorities adequate time to prepare for the Haj season.