The signing of the MoU took place at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (PMK), Jakarta, on Thursday.
Present during the activity, PMK Coordinating Minister Pratikno remarked that improving the quality of health services is vital, given the steadily increasing number of people joining the long queue of prospective pilgrims in Indonesia.
Consequently, he pointed out that the opportunity to undertake the pilgrimage may only arise later in life for many individuals.
Meanwhile, Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar highlighted that the Saudi Arabian Government had praised the health services provided by the Indonesian Government for Indonesian pilgrims.
"We have received a compliment from Saudi Arabia for our Hajj technical services, including those related to health," he stated.
He highlighted that in earlier Hajj seasons, the Religious Affairs Ministry offered insurance to Indonesian pilgrims in the event of death or accident.
Insurance compensation for each deceased pilgrim corresponds to the Hajj travel expenses per embarkation.
Moreover, Indonesia's national airline, Garuda Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia's flag carrier, Saudia Airlines, offered additional compensation to the families of pilgrims who passed away in the operational areas of the airlines during the Hajj season.
BPJS Kesehatan Head Ali Ghufron Mukti, on his part, emphasized that all Hajj pilgrims and officers must have their names registered as participants of the national health insurance (JKN) to ensure they have a safety net in case they experience health problems.
He further highlighted that his side and the Religious Affairs Ministry would collaborate to integrate data on the JKN membership of Hajj pilgrims and officers.
He noted that the two institutions will also disseminate important information on JKN to more prospective Hajj pilgrims.
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Translator: Asep F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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