The Saudi Ministry of Health has approved the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to operate two clinics in Makkah.
This was contained in a press statement signed by Fatima Usara Sanda, assistant director of public affairs, NAHCON, and made available to journalists yesterday in Abuja.
The statement of Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry approval was revealed to the commission through its medical consultants attached to Ithra Alkhair Company, NAHCON’s chosen service provider, otherwise known as Mu’assasa.
The two main clinics are those located in Masfala/Kudai and Shari’e Al-Mansour areas, which serve as the medical head offices.
Sanda added that the commission is still awaiting approval to start running three other outpost clinics (Triage Outposts 1, 2 & 3).
She said Dr Abubakar Adamu Isma’eel, NAHCON’s head of medical mission for the 2024 Hajj operations, is optimistic that within the next 48-72 hours, the three outposts would also receive full approval to operate optimally.
The proposed outposts are located at Nasarawa, Ogun/Oyo, and Borno Houses, respectively. The GPS of the outpost locations will be made available to the Nigerian pilgrims within hours of approval. It should be noted that the outposts are strategically situated within Pilgrims’ Hotel clusters to aid accessibility.
According to the statement, NAHCON has already deployed its team of professional medics who are set to provide healthcare services to Nigerian pilgrims. Accordingly, the commission solicits the cooperation of the Nigerian pilgrims for the measures put in place to succeed.