Hajj conference highlights Sawaed Al-Seha volunteer program's impact
A Hajj conference session in Jeddah reviewed the evolution of health volunteering, focusing on the institutional role of the Sawaed Al-Seha initiative.
Key Takeaways
AIA session titled "Efforts of Health Volunteering in Hajj," held as part of the sixth Hajj Conference and Exhibition in Jeddah, reviewed the journey of health volunteering and its transformation into an institutional effort supporting care for pilgrims, within the "Hajj Majlis."
Director General of the Health Volunteering Center at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ahmed bin Yahya Ghazwani, discussed the historical roots of volunteering in serving pilgrims and the development of healthcare from individual and charitable initiatives to modern health organization, culminating in the launch of the "Sawaed Al-Seha" initiative in 1439 AH and the establishment of the center in 2019.
He explained that the center focuses on capacity building, policy development, initiative advancement, and coordination among entities, channeling volunteer expertise to field needs through specialized tracks such as rapid response, ambulance transport, laboratory work, and epidemiological monitoring.
He highlighted the cumulative achievements of the "Sawaed Al-Seha" initiative, which has surpassed 914,000 volunteer hours, with an estimated economic value more than 66 million riyals. During the 1447 AH Hajj season, 4,754 volunteers participated in 309 volunteer opportunities across 15 health regions, providing services to more than 2.5 million beneficiaries.
He noted that the impact of health volunteering includes providing therapeutic, preventive, and emergency services, training volunteers, matching opportunities to specialties, and measuring outcomes with indicators that help develop and expand programs.
The session also addressed the humanitarian aspect of volunteering through campaigns documenting volunteer stories in serving pilgrims, such as "Labbaik Volunteering and Worship," the documentary film "Sawaed Mulabbiyah," and the "Volunteering Remains" and "Your Volunteering is Worship" campaigns. The importance of integrated partnerships among government, health, educational, and nonprofit sectors was emphasized to sustain health volunteering and enhance services for pilgrims.