Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health & National Geographic Abu Dhabi Present “Duty of Care” Hajj Documentary

National Geographic Abu Dhabi (NGAD) in partnership with the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today announced the launch of ‘The Duty of Care,’ a documentary providing a rare insight into the single largest congregation in the world and highlighting the role of the Ministry of Health in safeguarding the well-being and health of over 2.5 million devout pilgrims who undertake the annual Hajj journey. 

The documentary showcases the complex health infrastructure required to service such a large gathering, requiring 30,000 dedicated healthcare givers, 155 primary healthcare centres and 25 hospitals equipped and powered to support medical requirements and emergencies during Hajj. They work hand in hand with over 5,000 MOH paramedics located around the Grand Mosque, who use the latest GPS technology to locate every single person requiring medical attention and reach them in a timely manner to attend to their needs.

With over 2.5 million pilgrims visiting the Kingdom annually, the Ministry of Health has a large responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the pilgrims. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have put in place an integrated health infrastructure to this end, using specialists and the latest technology to provide advanced care and efficiently deploy resources in a timely manner.

The vision behind the enormity of this collective effort is to provide all visitors the necessary medical support so that they can focus on one thing and one thing only, their holy spiritual journey, their Hajj. Mover, preventative health measures represent a major priority for the Ministry of Health as they continuously stay up to date with the global health developments and trends in collaboration with the World Health Organization and other international health bodies such as the International centre for disease control.  

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a leading reference point in crowd medical management and support with extensive experience applauded by international medical organizations across the world. Saud Arabia’s vision 2030 presented a comprehensive strategy for the development of an integrated system aiming to increase the kingdoms’ current capabilities of receiving 8 million pilgrims a year to 15 million by 2020 and eventually to 30 million by 2030. 

The care that the Ministry of Health provides goes beyond dealing with accidents on site as it gives the necessary support to visitors with serious diseases to perform their pilgrimage. From assigning a dedicated team of expertise to allocating a fully equipped ambulance for transport, pilgrims with serious illness will be given the chance to perform the full ritual while their medical needs are being taken care off. 

Abdulrahman Awad Al Harethi, Acting Executive Director of Television at Abu Dhabi Media, said:  “The Duty of Care documentary forms an important part of National Geographic Abu Dhabi’s commitment to shed light on the Saudi Ministry of Health and the success stories among the region.”

“National Geographic Abu Dhabi is dedicated to producing a diverse range of world-class factual programs, which export the region’s most engaging stories and achievements to the world. The channel is in line with Abu Dhabi Media’s vision to provide interactive and intelligent content that caters to local and regional audiences.”

Commenting on the film unveiling, Sanjay Raina, General Manager and Senior Vice-President of Fox Networks Group said: “We are truly proud to partner with the Ministry of Health, KSA on this remarkable production. The story told through the words of these dedicated and committed health care givers is truly astounding as it reminds us not just of the vulnerability of humanity but the selfless support they provide during this holy period, as they perform their Duty of Care.” 

The story of ‘The Duty of Care’ is told through the eyes of three Ministry of Health healthcare professionals, and their experiences with the different phases of the medical care process. 

Introducing roaming paramedics whose job is to reach people in areas that ambulances cannot, to the doctor whose sole mission is to provide the highest international standard of medicine free of charge anyone needing to treat anything from low blood sugar to cardiac arrest, to the operations manager who utilizes big data analytics, smart planning and GPS tracking to monitor the big picture and ensures that no matter the conditions, assistance is always available and the nearest ICU is never too far away.

“We are honoured to bring this documentary to viewers around the region, a true labor of love for our team who worked with complete passion and enthusiasm to take us ‘further’ with a rare behind the scenes glimpse into the largest pilgrimage in the World. More importantly, the entire team that worked on this project were in awe at the world-class care delivered by Ministry of Health professionals, under circumstances that could be very challenging.” Rania concluded. 

The films reveal astonishing facts such as: 30,000 staff members, work day and night in 155 primary healthcare centres and 25 hospitals to ensure that the 25,000+ and 500 ICU beds are used in the most efficient way possible -100 ambulances and thousands of health professionals are tasked with helping people of determination get through all the rituals of hajj with ambulances and bringing them back to their hospital beds at the end of the day.

The documentary will premiere on 24 November with viewing at 4pm and 7pm and 11pm on National Geographic Abu Dhabi