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Govt works to reduce haj pilgrim deaths
A total of 774 Indonesian pilgrims passed away during last year’s haj season. The figure was more than eight times the number of 2022 deaths and the highest since 2015.
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Indonesia haj management committee (PPIH) officials escort a pilgrim upon his arrival at a hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on May 20, 2024. More than 56,000 Indonesian pilgrims had arrived in the Middle Eastern country as of May 20 to go on the month-long pilgrimage. (Antara/ Sigid Kurniawan)
T
he Health Ministry has put new measures in place this year to monitor haj pilgrims’ health and keep them fit throughout the journey in an effort bring down high mortality rates among Indonesians performing the Muslim rite.
A total of 774 Indonesian pilgrims passed away during last year’s haj season. The figure was more than eight times the number of 2022 deaths and the highest since 2015.
Government authorities blamed the mortality spike on the high number of elderly pilgrims and the extreme heat of the Saudi Arabian summer, with highs of up to 48 degrees Celsius.
For this year’s haj season, the ministry is seeking to improve health screening and ensure better diagnoses and care for sick pilgrims.
“We’re now providing QR codes on pilgrims’ name tags that lead directly to their international patient summary, which consists of their name, date of birth, age, health history, vaccination status, medication history and allergies,” said Health Ministry haj health center head Liliek Marhaendro Susilo in a statement on Saturday.
He added that the data could help health professionals, including in Saudi Arabian hospitals, give faster and more accurate diagnoses and treat ailing pilgrims more effectively.
Indonesian authorities have also imposed stricter requirements for pilgrims with underlying health conditions seeking embark on the haj.
