The oldest one (pilgrim) is 105 years old,Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is providing life and accident insurance for Hajj pilgrims this year, director for domestic Hajj services at the Religious Affairs Ministry, Saiful Mujab, said at Indramayu Hajj Dormitory, West Java, on Saturday (May 6).
"Last year (the 2022 Hajj pilgrimage period), there was no accident insurance. However, we have provided it this year,” he pointed out.
He informed that the insurance cover would begin once the pilgrims enter the Hajj dormitory and last until they complete the pilgrimage and return to Indonesia.
In addition, the government will also provide flight insurance so pilgrims who pass away during a flight will receive insurance of Rp125 million (US$8.5 thousand), he said.
"It is one of the efforts to protect the pilgrims," the director explained.
The implementation of the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage has posed significant challenges, he said.
The quota of pilgrims provided by the Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia has returned to the normal level recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, he said adding, around 67 thousand out of the 210 thousand Indonesian pilgrims this year are elderly.
Hence, he said the ministry has continued to improve the capacity of special officers who would be deployed to assist the elderly pilgrims.
The ministry has also prepared an elderly-friendly Hajj and Umrah implementation guidebook, he said.
Head of the West Java Provincial Office of the Religious Affairs Ministry, Ajam Mustajam, said that there are 36,361 Hajj pilgrims from 27 districts/cities in the province, who will embark from two points, namely Bekasi and Indramayu.
At least 1,935 of them are elderly and aged 81–100 years.
“The oldest one (pilgrim) is 105 years old," Mustajam noted.
A total of 30,235 Hajj pilgrims from 20 districts/cities in the province will be divided into 72 flight groups and leave from the Bekasi embarkation point.
Meanwhile, the remaining pilgrims will depart from the Indramayu embarkation point in 24 flight groups.
Mustajam said that Indramayu Hajj Dormitory is ready to welcome the pilgrims although this is the first time that the building will be used. Only some facility improvements are needed to be completed now, he added.
"We are preparing two buildings at Indramayu Hajj Dormitory with 200 rooms. Each room can be filled by four people, thus, it (the dormitory) can accommodate a total of 800 pilgrims," he said.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Uyu Liman
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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