Date: 2017-09-07

Two Nigerian female pilgrims delivered new babies while fifteen persons were reported dead during the just concluded hajj operations in Saudi Arabia. The female pilgrims are from Sokoto and Kogi states.

The mortality included a member of staff and legal adviser to the National Hajj Commission ( NAHCON), Barrister Ahmed Idris, who travelled with his wife but eventually died after a brief illness after performing all the hajj rites.

The head of the team in charge of health matters in the commission, Dr. Ibrahim Kana dropped this hint during a stakeholders' meeting in Mecca at the 2017 hajj post Arafat meeting with stakeholders.

According to him, members of the medical committee shall visit all hospitals in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and take care of all Nigerian patients on admission while all unidentified and missing pilgrims shall also be ascertained.

Dr. Kana projected and cautioned that within the next 10 years, Nigerians would operate hajj during very dry season and hot weather, hence the need for unhealthy persons or the aged to guide against performing the pilgrimage but if the need arises, such pilgrims should be accompanied by abled persons from home.

The head of the medical team said the commission would adopt a system where the operations of all ambulances would be centralized for proper coordination.