The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, has said the commission will ensure the enforcement of stringent medical screening for intending pilgrims.
This is as he said anyone found unfit for the pilgrimage would be denied the opportunity to participate in the religious rites henceforth.
“Certainly yes,” Hassan told our correspondent on Wednesday when asked if the commission will deny those found unfit from travelling to Saudi Arabia.
He said with the deaths recorded during this year’s Hajj, the commission has recommended stringent medical screening for all stakeholders, including state pilgrims’ welfare boards.
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He also faulted reports that over 41,000 Nigerian pilgrims fell sick during the exercise in Saudi Arabia, saying some pilgrims were attended to more than twice by medical experts.
No fewer than 14 pilgrims died during this year’s Hajj. Giving the breakdown on Sunday in Makkah during the post-Arafat review session, the head of the Nigerian medical team for the pilgrimage, Dr Usman Galadima, said seven pilgrims died during the pre-Arafat period.
He listed the casualties to include: Plateau (1), Kaduna (2), Osun (2), Borno (1), Yobe (1), FCT (1), Benue (1) and Lagos (1), while private tour operators recorded three deaths.
Galadima said during the Muna-Arafat period, four pilgrims died at Arafat and two at Mina.
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Also, The PUNCH reports on Wednesday that a 58-year-old female Kano Pilgrim, Hadiza Ismai’il, passed away while performing Hajj in Mecca.
But speaking with our correspondent on Wednesday from Saudi Arabia, the NAHCOM chairman said though it was unfortunate, death was inevitable.
He said while many things could be attributed to death by others, Muslims believes death is ordained by Allah irrespective of the circumstances.
“We are Muslims and we believe that death is inevitable. Death is not associated with sickness. As Muslim, we believe death is not about sickness.
“It (death) is about when you are called by Allah. Though we would have wanted a situation where nobody dies but we can’t question the Almighty,” Hassan told The PUNCH.
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Speaking further, he clarified that the commission had in its team over 500 medical experts to cater to the pilgrims, adding that some figures being bandied in some reports were false.
He said, “It is misleading to state that 41,000 Nigerian pilgrims fell sick this year, this is because the figure represents only medical consultations i.e. the number of times a doctor consulted a patient.
“A single patient can attend a clinic multiple times if his or her condition requires multiple medical consultations. We expect over a hundred thousand consultations at the end of the operation.”
On plans to reduce mortality during a pilgrimage, Hassan said, “An effective pre-HAJJ medical screening has the potential to reduce mortality during hajj.
“Therefore, we have also recommended that a more stringent medical screening be conducted and a person certified fit to perform hajj before he or she is allowed to perform Hajj.
“NAHCON could take up the responsibility of enforcing such a decision to reduce interference by the State’s stakeholders.”
PUNCH
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