The Ghana Hajj Medical team of the Pilgrims Affairs Office
of Ghana during one of the rituals of 2019 Hajj in Mina in Saudi Arabia had
adopted the wearing of face masks for pilgrims to prevent respiratory infections
and spread of airborne diseases from one pilgrim to the other.
This initiative was not part of Saudi Arabian’s Hajj guidelines
but an idea coming from the medical team of the Hajj board headed by Dr. Seidu Zakaria
long before the outbreak of COVID-19.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, international Hajj for
pilgrims have been cancelled by the Saudi Arabia authority through its agencies
like the ministry of Hajj and Umrah and Saudi Arabia ministry of Health to
protect the lives of the larger pilgrim population. Close to 10,000 pilgrims
comprising Saudi Arabia Citizens and other Nationals currently living in the
Kingdom will take part in this year’s hajj under strict safety guidelines
including mandatory fourteen days of quarantine before and after the
pilgrimage.
Just as COVID-19 Safety protocols are very key components in
this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia without the participation of participating
countries including Ghana, the Ghana medical team under the pilgrim’s office of
Ghana in the 2019 Hajj had already adopted one of the Popular COVID-19 safety protocols
of wearing of facemasks even long before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
The head of the Hajj medical team, Dr. Seidu Zakaria and his
team with support from the Hajj Board procured more than 6,000 facemasks and
distributed to the Ghanaian pilgrims in Mina on the first day of 2019 Hajj. The
initiative was to prevent the spread of any respiratory infections to pilgrims
due to crowded population in and outside the various tents.
Dr. Seidu Zakaria explains further on the initiative and its
positive effects." The wearing of the face masks has reduced the rate of infections since we started this initiative three years ago."
The welfare of pilgrims is our paramount concern and in order to prevent the spread of airborne diseases in our tents, the immediate solution is to introduce the wearing of face masks as a measure, he explained.
Coughing and cold
related diseases is usually associated with Hajj pilgrimage where a lot of
pilgrims irrespective of where they are coming from are affected though are
quickly treated by the various national Hajj medical teams and the Saudi
Arabian ministry of Hajj.
Ghana’s Hajj Medical team is made up of medical Doctors, Physician
Assistance, pharmacists, Nurses, midwives and other medical specialists who are
always available to render health care services to pilgrims. Emergency cases
are referred to mainstream health facilities in Medina and Mecca.
The Ghana Hajj medical team has contributed a lot in the
successes of the Ghana Hajj board’s operations since the beginning of Hajj
operations in Ghana.
END/Tanko Mohammed Rabiu/ Hajj Communications
Contact- +233207788616
Email- rabiutanko@hotmail.com
