Saudi Gazette report

MAKKAH — The Saudi Red Crescent Authority has successfully conducted test landing of an emergency air ambulance on a newly constructed helipad located within the Third Saudi Expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The air ambulance is designated to evacuate patients from the Grand Mosque and transport them to nearby hospitals for treatment during the peak pilgrimage season.

The modern helipad has been meticulously designed to accommodate air ambulance operations, ensuring swift patient evacuation and transport to nearby hospitals.

A video clip published by the Emirate of Makkah showed the air ambulance landing on the courtyard of the Third Saudi Expansion of the Grand Mosque. The aircraft was fully equipped, including a medical stretcher and vital signs monitors, before taking off en route to the hospital. This was a trial run for the service before its implementation.

The authority has opened two helipads on the grounds of the Grand Mosque to expedite emergency medical evacuations, as well as to enhance healthcare services for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims ahead of the Hajj season. The helipads will enable the rapid transport of critical cases to hospitals in Makkah and Jeddah.

Meanwhile, the Grand Mosque's emergency hospital is equipped with intensive care units, medical laboratories, radiology services, an in-house pharmacy, and isolation units for infectious diseases.