"This service is a new innovation that has become one of the government's programs to educate (the pilgrims) and ensure the pilgrims can carry out all worship activities in good health," head of the Center for Religious Harmony at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Wawan Djunaedi, said at a press conference on the Hajj pilgrimage implementation here on Thursday.
The consultation service is scheduled to be provided regularly once or twice a week, he informed. The service is being provided by health workers of each pilgrim group and followed up with consultations with specialist doctors enlisted by the government.
According to Djunaedi, the service is being provided to make it easier to take action when high-risk pilgrims require medical attention. Officers are continuing to monitor high-risk pilgrims with the help of special bangles, which the pilgrims are required to wear at all times until they return to the country.
"There is no need to remove it (the bangle) when performing ablution, bathing, or praying," he said.
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The government has also added more officers around the Great Mosque of Mecca to serve and assist Hajj pilgrims round the clock.
The pilgrims have been asked to continue maintaining good health so that they can participate in the peak of the pilgrimage smoothly.
This year, Saudi Arabia has allowed one million pilgrims from various countries to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. Indonesia has been allotted a quota of 100,051 for the pilgrimage.
Saudi Arabia has laid down two conditions for foreign Hajj pilgrims. First, the pilgrims must not be older than 65 years and must have received the full dose of any COVID-19 vaccine approved by the Saudi Health Ministry.
Second, pilgrims traveling from abroad must have a certificate showing a negative PCR result, with the test taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure. (
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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