Experiencing Emergency Medical Services at Hajj

This article is a first-hand report on the experience of paramedic students providing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) at Hajj, an annual mass gathering of Muslim pilgrims in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.Problem: Quantitative research has reported Hajj from the perspective of numbers. A qualitative approach to understanding Hajj was not discovered in the literature. Therefore, a qualitative phenomenological approach was conducted to research the experience of providing patient care with EMS at Hajj in order to understand the experience from paramedic students who part of their EMS education attend Hajj.Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was applied to interview focus groups consisting of bachelor degree students studying Emergency Medical Services (EMS) at a public college in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Part of their degree requirements was to attend Hajj.Results: Participants described their experiences as honorable and beneficial to their EMS education. Participants encountered medical and trauma patients and this provided opportunities to apply their EMS knowledge and medical skills. They reported an increase in motivation, confidence and ability to think critically. Participants reported challenges they encountered at a mass gathering of pilgrims from across the world. Common challenges included language barriers and difficulty reaching patients due to crowds. Participants provided recommendations for how to improve the EMS provided at Hajj, which were generally focused on improved utilization of EMS students, development of standards and scope of practice for EMS at Hajj, and a preceptor-training program.Conclusion: Attending the Hajj mass gathering was found to have significant educational value for EMS students. Specific recommendations on how to improve this education experience and provided emergency care at Hajj are made. These recommendations hold practical implications for EMS training programs and Hajj organizers.