ICIR
THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has disclosed that 13 Nigerian pilgrims died while participating in the recently concluded Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
The head of NAHCON’s medical team Usman Galadima, gave this information to the media on Monday, July 3, during the post-Arafat conference with Hajj stakeholders in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
“Seven of the victims died before Arafat; six died post-Arafat (four in Arafat, two in Mina).
“Three of the dead victims were from the private tour operators, while two each were from Kaduna and Osun states,” he said.
He added that Yobe, Plateau, Borno, FCT, Benue and Lagos states recorded one death each.
Galadima stated that the figure for this year is higher than the combined figures for 2022 (two) and 2018 (two).
“The figure is the same as that of 2019, while it is higher than the post Arafat figures of 2016 and 2017 when three deaths were recorded each.”
According to him, a total of 25,722 pilgrims were treated by the medical team throughout the post-Arafat period, of which the men were 10,454, and the women 15,268.
“There were 93 emergency cases, out of which there were seven heat strokes, 22 severe malaria, seven DM emergencies and five psychiatric cases.
“There were also three reported cases of chicken pox, which the doctor said were all taken out of Mina to the hospital in Makkah to avoid contagion,” he added.
Galadima also reported two cases of deliveries by pregnant women, one on the roadside and another in one of the NAHCON medical facilities.
To reduce the mortality rates, Galadima recommended that elderly pilgrims and those that are very sick should be discouraged from going to Jamarat, the site of the stoning of the devil.
He noted that pilgrims should be encouraged to use the Jamaraat train services and that there should be thorough pre-Hajj medical screening with the issuance of a certificate of medical fitness.
Galadima also disclosed that the team…
