TEHRAN – Some 400 skilled doctors and nurses will be dispatched to Iraq for Arbaeen rituals, Taher Doroudi, Arbaeen medical operations manager, has stated.

The Arbaeen pilgrimage, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Imam of Shia Muslims, and the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Each year, a huge crowd of people flocks to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rituals.

According to the confirmation given by the Iraqis and the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, the number of Iranians who can join the rituals in Iraq is about 30,000 due to the coronavirus pandemic, ISNA reported on Saturday.

“We send 400 medical staff to provide services to the pilgrims; the team includes a group of physicians, nurses, medical emergencies, technicians, etc.,” Doroudi said.

This year, pilgrims must take a flight to Iraq. As a rule, all health protocols, such as vaccination, must be observed. But the first flights will probably be from September 19, he explained.

This year Arbaeen falls on September 27.

Before the outbreak of coronavirus,  some 2 to 3 million Iranians attended annually in the Arbaeen march. However, last year, the rituals were held virtually to avoid the transmission of the disease.

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