NAHCON To Appoint Volunteers In Medical Team

In a bid to ensure effective health care management during the 2024 hajj, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) is planning to restructure the operations of National Medical Team (NMT) to achieve cost- reduction and sizable personnel.

This was contained in the report of the NMT guidelines review committee submitted to the chairman/CEO of the commission, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi on Thursday. 

According to the report, the re-structuring of NMT operation will ensure accessibility and healthy operations that will help to achieve cost-reduction and the number of personnel in the face of the nation’s current economic reality.

One of the proposals of the committee is the institution of the concept of volunteerism in the appointment of medical personnel into the NMT that will entail the procurement of travel visa,  provision of accommodation, transportation and payment of stipends to applicants who have been appointed into the National Medical Team.

While receiving the report, NAHCON chairman Jalal Ahmad Arabi expressed appreciation to the committee and assured that it would be diligently studied with a view to bringing out a robust working book. 

“I want to thank you profoundly for your sacrifice and to assure you that we will work on the report dispassionately.

We shall study the provisions of the reports and the recommendations therein, I congratulate and appreciate your commitment and diligence and I want to assure you that whatever we bring out will satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerians, the intending Pilgrims and those who wish to perform the pilgrimage in the future,” he said.

According to Arabi, NAHCON will continue to provide oversight and work with partners and stakeholders to ensure that pilgrims’ health care services are given utmost priority. 

“I can assure you that we will expedite action to ensure the full implementation of the provisions in the guidelines, including some of those that were partially done in the past,” Arabi said in a press statement signed by Mousa Ubandawaki, deputy director, NAHCON and made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.