Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated during a working meeting with Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) on Tuesday that purchasing medicines directly in Saudi Arabia is considered more effective than sending large-scale shipments from Indonesia.
"If we bring the medicines from Indonesia, they could expire and become an audit issue. This is our strategy to become more efficient by adjusting the actual needs in the field," he remarked.
Apart from logistics efficiency, Sadikin emphasized that the government also ensures the availability of vaccines for all pilgrims.
This year, according to provincial distribution, the ministry has allocated 211,751 doses of meningitis vaccine and 203,410 doses of polio vaccine for 203,320 regular Hajj pilgrims.
The Health Ministry and the Saudi Arabian health authorities have appointed Abeer Medical Group as the main partner for medical services for Indonesian pilgrims.
The minister stated that this service group is recommended directly by the Saudi government through a special selection system per country to support health services during the Hajj pilgrimage.
Related news: Elderly pilgrims should prioritize health during Hajj: Ministry
"Sick Hajj pilgrims can immediately go to the Saudi hospital network. The handling will be faster and safer," he explained.
He believes this approach will strengthen the emergency referral system for pilgrims experiencing serious health issues, such as heart attacks and strokes, so that they can receive immediate care with complete facilities in Saudi Arabia.
His side also assigns professional health workers proportionally to each Hajj group to ensure proper health services from departure until the entire series of Hajj pilgrimages is completed.
Indonesia received a quota of 221 thousand people for the 2025 Hajj, comprising 203,320 regular pilgrims and 17,680 special Hajj pilgrims.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that the first wave of departures is scheduled on May 2, 2025.
Related news: Ministry deploys 188 health officers for Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia
Translator: M. Riezko Bima, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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