Letter to Editor
Authors
Trauma Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hajj, a unique yearly mass gathering pilgrimage of more than 2 million Muslims from around the world, presents enormous challenges to the Saudian Arabia government.1 The potential for deadly epidemic outbreaks of bacterial and viral diseases leading to upper respiratory infection and meningitis and human stampedes call for prompt attention from both pilgrims and the ministry of health.2
Trauma during Hajj is a real surgical dilemma that deserves special attention.3 Stampede during Hajj presents the most dreaded trauma risk. In 2006, the Hajj stampede led to pilgrims crossing over fallen down pilgrims and ended up with 289 injured and 380 deaths.
Fatalities are caused by head injury and asphyxiation, that cannot be attended to in huge crowds.4 Every year, because of overcrowding and population density, numerous pilgrims, are traumatized or killed during the Hajj rituals... (Read more...)
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