MAKKAH: A large number of Hajj pilgrims who streamed in and out of Makkah earlier this week were women in various stages of pregnancy. Keeping an eye on their progress was a Makkah-based gynecologist who advised them to take the utmost care with their medicine and avoid physical exertion. Dr. Nighat Irfana, a senior gynecologist who has been assisting Hajj pilgrims for more than eight years, gave her patients advice on the dos and don’ts of performing the annual pilgrimage. “As physical exertion is part of Hajj pilgrimage, I always advise women to take medicine regularly,” Dr. Irfana told Arab News. “They must keep their antenatal checkup record. In case of diabetes and high blood pressure, they should carry their doctor’s prescription and take medicine properly,” she said. “Early pregnancy abortion, preterm labor pain, full-term labor pain, pregnancy associated with diabetes and hypertension are some of the issues that women face during Hajj,” added Dr. Irfana, who is a senior specialist at the Maternity and Children’s Hospital in Makkah. She advised woman pilgrims to be careful if using medication to postpone menstruation during Hajj. “Such medicines should not be used without consulting the doctor. Knowing the right dose is very important.” During her eight years of service, Dr. Irfana has also served at Arafat Hospital twice during the Hajj pilgrimage. “The main responsibilities of doctors during Hajj are to serve Hajj patients with immediate and complete health services and make their Hajj easy and free from pain and disease,” she says. During her fourth year of Hajj service Dr. Irfana was ferried to Arafat in a helicopter to assist at a birth. “Due to physical exertion the patient got labor pain before time and was about to deliver. My hospital sent me immediately to ensure a safe and healthy delivery.” She was also on the scene two years ago when there was a stampede in Makkah. “All doctors, paramedics and authorities were on alert and equipped to provide medical support to those affected. The whole crisis management was flawless and efficient,” she said. Surprisingly, despite the large numbers of languages spoken by the pilgrims, she said this does not present the medical staff with a problem. “As many pilgrims come from Arab countries, language is not an issue. Similarly for Asian pilgrims, there are doctors and paramedics who can communicate with them in their languages. With pilgrims from Western countries, we can speak English. We also have interpreters to deal with patients from countries such as China, Malaysia and Mali,” said Dr. Irfana. “Saudi Arabia provides best of world-class health services to the Hajj pilgrims. We feel proud that we serve the guests of Allah,” she said. “For us the best reward for rigorous and long hours at work is the love and blessings that Hajj patients shower on us when we treat them.”