New Delhi: With a view to ensuring quality health support to pilgrims, the Ministry of Minority Affairs is collaborating with the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for comprehensive health arrangements for pilgrims planning to visit Mecca for the Haj pilgrimage.
Each year, Saudi Arabia hosts around 25 lakh to 30 lakh pilgrims from across the globe to visit Mecca and India sends the third largest contingent of Haj pilgrims in the world. Such a large number of pilgrims also pose unique public health challenges, and the medical requirements of the pilgrims in Mecca, Medinah, and Jeddah must be well-cared for. While the number of pilgrims had shown a decreasing trend in the last three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year a larger number of Indian pilgrims are expected to visit Mecca. For the present year, a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims has been allotted to India.
With a view to ensuring comprehensive and quality services to the pilgrims, the Minister of Minority Affairs & Minister of Health has undertaken a series of meetings accompanied by officials from both ministries. In the last three months, more than 10 meetings have been organized on the subject between both ministries and a detailed plan of action has been finalized. Ministry of Health accordingly issued directions to all States on March 21st, wherein States have been advised to provide Medical Screening & Fitness Certificates for applicant pilgrims and a detailed format for such screening has been sent to the States.
With a view to aid the applicants, this year the Medical Screening & Fitness Certificate by the applicant can be issued by any Government allopathic medical doctor in the States/UTs. This will ease the process of getting medical screening certificates across the country. Moreover, Health & Vaccination Camps have been directed that states and district health authorities will also set up Camps for the selected pilgrims wherein the pre-departure detailed Medical Examination and Vaccination will also be provided. A Health Card for all the pilgrims will also be issued in these camps which will examine the selected pilgrims for their present health status, and the existing diseases/co-morbidities, if any.
It is planned that the health status will be made available to the Medical Teams in Saudi Arabia through digital means for timely health service delivery in case of any emergency. Each State has accordingly been advised to nominate a Nodal Officer for coordinating the activities in collaboration with the State Minority Welfare Department. Ministry of Health will procure and provide the required number of Quadrivalent Meningococcal Meningitis Vaccines (QMMV) & Seasonal Influenza Vaccines (SIV) to the pilgrims.
Further, Health Desks will also be set up at all departing airports for coordinating the health needs of the pilgrims during the departure. With a view to planning the requirement of health infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is also sending a team of senior clinicians during the first week of April 2023, to plan for the requirement of temporary hospitals, dispensaries, pharmacies & camps as needed in Mecca, Medinah, Jeddah, Arafat and at the core ritual site of Mina. The team will assess the requirement of specialists, doctors and paramedical staff based on their field assessment. The team will examine the need for medical equipment and medicines for these health facilities and the same will be procured and made available by the Ministry of Health. To ensure quality, the available medicines from Jan Aushadhi stores will be procured and provided in these facilities.
Ministry of Health has also addressed all States & UTs to also obtain the list of willing Government medical and paramedical professionals who will be selected based on the criteria of their experience, specialization & desirable qualifications for manning these health facilities.
The selected health professionals will also be extensively oriented on the expected health needs of the pilgrims to ensure quality health service delivery.
The pilgrims will be screened for a wide range of medical issues in order to tackle any emergency effectively and quickly, which may arise during the pilgrimage. The collaborative efforts by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Ministry of Health are expected to ensure easing the process of obtaining Medical Screening Fitness Certificates and vaccination besides timely and quality healthcare services from point of embarkation till their return back to India.
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