Hajj commission lists ways out of major, minor illnesses
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has expressed concerns over the number of pregnant women that snuck to the holy land for this year’s hajj.
In a chat with members of the national media team in Makkah on Wednesday, the head of the Nigerian Medical Team, Dr. Usman Galadima said one of the pregnant women had to be assisted to put to bed while others had to be referred to women hospital for proper medical attention and care.
He reiterated that it was not morally right to allow pregnant women to embark on pilgrimage due to the stress, risks and hazards such women are exposed to, or encounter during the exercise.
The head of the medical team also expressed worry that some pilgrims with underlining illnesses came to the holy land without their authorised medicaments, saying the Saudi security at the airports allow entry with such prescription drugs if they are in their original packs and of reasonable quantities.
Dr. Galadima, however, said, sadly enough, information reaching him is that the drugs were normally seized right from Nigeria and not at any of the Saudi airports, due to lack of proper information, enlightenment and education on such drugs and medicaments as they relate to such patients.
He said, this has exposed some of the patients to high risks and ultimately, admission and referrals to Saudi hospitals, as some of them have had their sugar and BP levels reach crisis state.
NAHCON operates seven clinics in Makkah
Dr. Galadima also noted that the Commission will operate seven clinics in Makkah to attend to Nigerian pilgrims as they converge at the holy City for this year’s hajj.
He said already, three of the clinics have been fully established and functional, while the remaining will take off as the number of Nigerian pilgrims increases in Makkah, as the clinics would be established in areas with large concentration of Nigerian pilgrims.
Dr. Galadima stated that, so far, no fewer than three hundred patients were attended to on daily basis at the three clinics, saying the number might increase as Makkah is the final destination to all pilgrims for the hajj exercise.
“Most common illnesses like malaria, respiratory related complications, cough, cold and similar ones, he said, were treated as outpatient cases, while serious ones are given extra care as in admissions and referrals in more serious cases,” he noted.
Dr. Galadima reiterated his earlier advice to pilgrims to religiously guard their health through good eating, drinking habits and maintaining clean environments to guard against any outbreak of diseases.
He again cautioned the pilgrims against unnecessary loitering as the Saudi weather is already harsh, urging them to remain indoors and drink lots of water as a sure protection against dehydration and ultimately, sun and or heat strokes.
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