Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Hajj pilgrims now have improved and exclusive access to Saudi Arabian hospitals, allowing them to bypass the lengthy health referral bureaucracy and receive immediate treatment, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated.

"The number of our personnel at the Indonesian Hajj Health Office (KKHI) can be reduced because Indonesian Hajj pilgrims get better and more exclusive access to Saudi hospitals. They do not have to wait too long at KKHI," he noted during a press conference on Friday.

He highlighted that the 2023 Hajj season witnessed the highest number of Indonesian pilgrim deaths, with 773 fatalities. In 2024, the figure dropped to 461, a decrease attributed to stricter health screenings.

"We made improvements with the Religious Affairs Ministry to reduce the death toll from 2023 to 2024. The decrease is due to stricter health checks and enhanced assistance process," Sadikin explained.

He remarked that the high death toll could lead to stricter requirements for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims in the following year.

"If we cannot maintain the health status, morbidity, and mortality of our Hajj pilgrims, it will bring negative impacts on the next Hajj season, including the insurance premiums that must be paid by next year's pilgrims," he explained.

He noted that the Saudi Arabian government has provided a list of organizations and companies offering health services for Hajj pilgrims from all countries. As a result, the reduced health worker quota from each country is expected to free up more spots for pilgrims.

"We hope the service will be better so we can reduce the number of our health workers. The quota can be used to add more pilgrims," the minister remarked.

The ministry deploys 188 health officers as part of the KKHI team for this year's Hajj season.

Indonesia received a quota of 221 thousand people for the 2025 Hajj, comprising 203,320 regular pilgrims and 17,680 special Hajj pilgrims.

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