India’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dr Suhel Khan, visited Mecca to check the arrangements made for Indian Hajj pilgrims. He inspected the facilities and met with Indian pilgrims who had come from different states. The envoy also reviewed the bus transport arrangements for the Indian pilgrims. During his visit, he visited medical centres, branch offices and dispensaries in the city and tweeted that Three large medical centers with a total in-patient capacity of 90 beds and more than 15 other dispensaries have been set up in Makkah for the Indian pilgrims.
This year, a larger number of Indian pilgrims are expected to visit Mecca. For 2021, a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims has been allotted to India. To ensure comprehensive health arrangements, India’s Ministry of Minority Affairs works in partnership with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Ministry of Health has directed all states to provide Medical Screening & Fitness Certificates for candidate pilgrims. Health and Vaccination Camps have been established to examine the selected pilgrims for their health and to provide vaccination. The Ministry of Health has also procured the required number of Quadrivalent Meningococcal Meningitis Vaccines (QMMV) & Seasonal Influenza Vaccines (SIV) to the pilgrims.
The collaborative efforts by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Ministry of Health are expected to ensure that the process of obtaining Medical Screening Fitness Certificates and vaccination is made easy, besides ensuring timely and quality healthcare services from point of embarkation till the pilgrims’ return to India.
