TEHRAN — Iran preparing to provide Arba’een pilgrims with various relief and medical services during the Arba’een walk 2017, director of the Relief and Rescue Organization has said.

Every year millions walk from Najaf to Karbala in Iraq for Arba’een pilgrimage. This is held at the end of the 40-day mourning period following Ashura, the religious ritual for the commemoration of the Imam Hussein’s martyrdom in the battle of Karbala in 680 AD.

The services including air medical services and relief units will be set up from October 29 for 15 days, ISNA quoted Morteza Salimi as saying. 

Five helicopters providing air medical services as well as 463 rescue and relief units will be set up along the way with 8,950 individuals including doctors, nurses, and rescue and relief forces offering various medical services to the pilgrims, Salimi explained.

There will be camps in provinces of Khuzestan, Kermanshah, and Ilam for those pilgrims who would like to take rest, he added.

Ali Mar’ashi another official with the Red Crescent Society also highlighted that all medical services will be free of charge over the 15-day rituals and that 150 tons of drugs will be transferred to Iraq as of Wednesday within two days. 

Mar’ashi further stated 25 ambulances and 8 medical ambulance buses will be stationed from Iran’s border areas to Karbala. 

“All medical services will be free of charge and in case any of the pilgrims need any operations along the way they will get the surgery at no cost at all,” Mar’ashi said. 

MQ/MG