The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has said that its clinics in Makkah, Saudi Arabia Are on the verge of gaining authorization from Saudi Authorities to commence operation.
HAJJ REPORTERS report that NAHCON had last week announced that its clinics in Makkah are yet to start operation because the Saudi authorities have not given permission for operation to all the participating countries for this year’s Hajj.
However, the NAHCON Head of Medical Team for this year’s Hajj, Dr. Abubakar Adamu Isma’il, while speaking on Freedom Radio Group, Kaduna Station, hoped that the Nigerian Clinics in Makkah would very soon be authorised to operate by the Saudi health authorities.
According to him, the Mu’assasa – those saddled with the responsibility of attending to foreign pilgrims had expressed delight with Nigeria’s preparedness in attending to her pilgrims.
He said the Mu’assasa had assessed that Nigeria was the best and most adequately and diligently prepared for the health task of her pilgrims amongst nations of sub-Sahara Africa.
Dr. Abubakar Isma’il said the delay in the authorisation of the Clinics in Makkah was not peculiar to Nigeria, as to date no nation among the participating nations in this year’s Hajj, has been authorised by the Saudi health authorities to operate their Clinics.
He also reiterated its resolve of the Commission to diligently look after the wellbeing of all Nigerian pilgrims to this year’s Hajj in the holy land, and for that reason it had adequately stocked up all its Clinics with essential drugs, sourced from Nigeria and in Saudi Arabia.
He said most of the drugs sourced from Nigeria were those that cannot be found in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as some sicknesses and illnesses are peculiar to countries, regions and continents, which make it practically impossible for the Saudis to solve all drugs needs for these illnesses and sicknesses peculiar to nations, regions and continents of the world.
The Head of the Medical Team stated that all Nigerian Clinics in Madinah have been licensed and authorised to operate by the Saudi health authorities and were fully operational and committedly attending to Nigerian and other nations pilgrims that reported to them for medical attention.
Dr. Abubakar Isma’il said, however, in Makkah, were about two major Clinics with their annexes would be operated, are yet to be operational as the Saudi health authorities were yet to authorise their operations.
He stated that except for pilgrims with underlying sicknesses, like diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and their likes who were routinely being monitored and assisted by the members of the medical team for fear of complications, all other medical consultations, attendance, diagnoses and treatments were being attended to by Saudi hospitals through the assistance of Saudi Red Crescent.
On the deaths of some Nigerian pilgrims so far, the Head of the medical team stated that they had, ab initio, pre-mobid conditions(health challenges) before even their arrival into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
