Iraq Ready to Provide Health, Medical Services to Some 21 Million Arbaeen Pilgrims: Official
Speaking to IQNA, Dr Fadhil al-Rabiei, said the Iraqi health ministry is fully prepared to serve the Arabeen pilgrims.
He said between 20 and 21 million pilgrims are expected to take part in the Arabeen rituals in the Arab country this year, some 8 million of them will be Iraqis and the rest will be from other countries.
In usual conditions, no force or department can cope with this huge number of people but with God’s blessings, the Iraqi health ministry in cooperation with custodianships of holy shrines and the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) will manage to provide the best health and medical services to the pilgrims, he stated.
As for the health challenges facing the pilgrims, Rabiei said the coronavirus is still as issue and all pilgrims need to have a certificate showing they have received at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
Another challenge is extreme heat that is expected to be dominant in the country during Arbaeen and all health and medical centers should be ready to deal with its affects, he noted.
Rabiei also said that some 100,000 Iraqi volunteer forces will be ready to serve pilgrims and there will also be Iranians coming to Iraq to help.
A number of field hospitals and health tents have also been prepared in coordination with Iran’s Red Crescent Society, he went on to say.
The Arbaeen mourning ceremony is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
It marks the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), Imam Hussein (AS).
Each year, pilgrims, mainly from Iraq and Iran, travel long routes on foot to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located.
The Day of Arbaeen falls on September 17 this year.
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