The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Medical Mission has said it’s illegal for states pilgrims’ boards or private operators to operate clinic services during hajj.
The Head of the Medical Mission, Dr. Usman Galadima, in an interview with Muslim News, said the Saudi authorities only recognise national clinics set up by the commission to provide medical services to pilgrims.
Investigations carried out by this medium revealed that some states set up clinic centres in Muna to complement the efforts of NAHCON who is attending to various medical needs of over 95,000 pilgrims at #Hajj2023.
In reaction to this development, Dr. Galadima said though their services may be complementary, it is illegal to do such.
According to him, “We don’t set up clinics arbitrarily. We seek permission and are granted a temporary license. Each person that would work at the clinic would have to submit his qualifications to the Saudi authorities and also granted a temporary license to practice.
He noted that the Saudi authorities only recognise national clinics, adding that, “It does not recognise subnational entities. So, if any state is providing some clinical services, it is doing that illegally.
“What we expect is for states to contribute personnel to the national medical team. With that, we would have more personnel and then we can distribute them to different places,” he added.
