The Saudi Arabian Health ministry has raised concern over the possible outbreak of infection diseases during this year’s pilgrimage in which over a million Muslims, from about 39 countries of the world are participating.
In a statement, the ministry said that it is determined to focus attention on the prevention of such diseases as MERS and Zika in particular, and in general, cerebral spinal fever, meningitis, yellow fever and polio.
The ministry said that it would take necessary measures to educate the incoming pilgrims on personal hygiene such drinking bottled water, washing hands with soap, using disposable shaving razors, abstaining from eating exposed foods and keeping away from scorching sun.
It said that some literatures would be distributed to the pilgrims on precautionary measures they should take to avoid running into health problems.
This is even as the minister for Hajj and Umrah, Muhammad Bantan said that an approved grouping of pilgrims, to avoid over-crowding at any point, has been forwarded to the Crown Prince, Muhammad Bin Naif, who is the chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee for final endorsement.
According to hm, the first phase of the grouping would involve those going to Jamrah, Masher Train, and that the plan is simply a way of controlling crowed to stem the situation in which thousands of pilgrims died last year at Jamrah area.
Meanwhile, the 45th flight, carrying 463 intending pilgrims from Ogun state, Nigeria, left Lagos at about quarter past six in the morning of Monday for Madinah in Medview flight MEV 3124. Total number of intending pilgrims that have been airlifted from various airports in Nigeria to the Holy land, as at Monday morning, was 19,110. [myad]
