"We hope that this year we can truly maximize our health SOPs. This doesn't mean we don't have standards, but perhaps we haven't implemented our standards optimally," said Head of the Hajj Management Agency (BP Haji), Mochammad Irfan Yusuf in Jakarta on Saturday.
Yusuf stated that Hajj health is the government's focus for the 2026 Hajj, saying that preparing these health procedures is to fulfill the Hajj health's capability (Istithaah).
Istithaah is the Hajj pilgrims' health capabilities, both physical and mental, as measured through examinations, so they can perform the Hajj pilgrimage in accordance with Islamic law.
Yusuf stated that implementing Hajj health standards is crucial to prevent the still high death rate among prospective Indonesian pilgrims.
"The health of these Hajj pilgrims is a process that the whole world is watching. We don't want this Hajj to be seen as a field of death by the world," he said.
Similar to Yusuf, Deputy Head of the BP Haji Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, said that the health management will provide holistic health checks to prospective Hajj pilgrims.
"The health management will start with health checks when they are about to depart, before they are about to depart, after their departure has been announced, and before departure," Simanjuntak said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Advisory Board the Central Executive Board (PP) of Perdokhi, Muchtaruddin Mansyur, stated that Perdokhi and BP Haji have provided 16 recommendations for the transformation of the Hajj istithaah policy.
The recommendations include the addition of cell-based influenza vaccines and pneumonia vaccines.
"Another recommendation is the administration of authentic Indonesian immunomodulators, such as Phyllantus niruri extract, combined with multivitamins, recommended daily upon arrival in Indonesia to boost the immune system against the increased risk of infection in large crowds," Mansyur said.
Phyllantus niruri is also known as Gale of the Wind (Meniran hijau).
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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