Thousands of doctors trained to fight infections during Haj

August 30, 2014

Jeddah, Aug 30: Health authorities in Makkah have begun training their personnel, including nurses and doctors, in dealing with prevention of infection of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) during the Haj season.

The infection control management and effective preventive measures are needed for such a massive gathering, said Dr. Abdul Salam Noorwali, director of the Ministry of Health in the Makkah region.

He said in a statement that wearing a special mask is crucial, and training is being conducted for nurses and doctors according to international standards at Hera General Hospital in Makkah.

Nearly 3,800 personnel are being provided training in dealing with coronavirus-related cases and preventive measures, the director said, adding that the extensive training that began last week will last for three more weeks.

All doctors and other paramedic staff are being deployed for Haj in Makkah, Noorwali said, and emphasized the importance of effective measures for infection control methods in view of corona and Ebola viruses.

He added that all deployed staff must pass the infection control management tests conducted by the MoH in the holy city.

“The MoH is determined that pilgrims should return to their homes in a safe and healthy state and free from any virus infection during their pilgrimage in the Kingdom,” he said.

In preventing and controlling any suspected Ebola cases, the MoH has made mandatory the spread of information about suspected symptoms to health authorities within 24 hours.

The ministry organized a workshop at Jeddah’s King Fahd Hospital on Thursday in which all provincial directors from the ministry participated through a video link.

In another development, Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz University held a lecture on the coronavirus by a Japanese scientist.

As part of a research program, professor Wataru Kamitani of the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases (RIMD), Osaka University, Japan, was received by professor Adnan Zahed, vice president for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research.

According to university sources, during the visit, Kamitani paid a visit to King Fahd Center for Medical Research to share his expertise with its scientists.

The purpose of the visit, according to Zahed, was to discuss aspects of mutual cooperation in scientific research in line with KAU’s policy of seeking to provide high quality education and taking advantage of the capacity and expertise of other local and foreign universities and scientists.

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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