Hajj 2023: 15,860 Nigerian Pilgrims Fall Ill, 100 Referred to Saudi Hospitals

Hajj 2023: 15,860 Nigerian Pilgrims Fall Ill, 100 Referred to Saudi Hospitals

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, in Makkah

The Medical Mission to this year’s Hajj operations has reported that a total of 15,860 Nigerian pilgrims have so far fallen sick and have been treated in the health facilities provided by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Makkah and Madinah.

This figure is higher than the Pre-Arafat clinic visits recorded in 2022 (9,852), 2019 (12, 222), 2017 (13,305), 2015 (6,744) and 2014 (8,223).

This year’s figure is however lower than the Pre-Arafat clinic visits of 2018 (16,503), 2016 (19,734) and 2013 (16,020).

The Head of the Medical Mission to the Hajj operation, Dr Usman Galadima, made this known in a presentation at a Pre-Arafat briefing organised by NAHCON in Makkah on Saturday night.

According to the doctor, 7,803 of the cases were males while 8,057 were females.

He added that there have been eight cases of communicable diseases among the patients out of which seven were chicken pox and one was tuberculosis.

Dr Galadima also informed the gathering that eight pilgrims have so far suffered fracture since the clinics were opened about a month ago.

He listed malaria, common cold, peptic ulcer, hypertension and musclokeletal disorders as the five most common sicknesses troubling the pilgrims.

The doctor also observed an increase in certain risk factors which include referrals to Saudi Hospitals which he put at 100, Diabetes cases, fractures among elderly pilgrims and cardiac arrests which he said had already claimed the lives of six pilgrims.

He therefore called on the relevant authorities to strengthen the testing procedure to ensure that people who are pregnant, very old or chronically ill are not allowed to come for Hajj.