The head of the Nigerian medical team for the pilgrimage, Dr Usman Galadima, stated this Sunday night in Makkah during the post-Arafat review session, that the death toll of Nigerian pilgrims during the 2023 hajj exercise has risen to 13 just as 41,632 others fell sick in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He said his team made consultations for 25,772 pilgrims during the Muna-Arafat period in addition to the 15,680 treated in Madinah and Makkah during the pre-Arafat period.
Galadima recalled that seven pilgrims had died during the pre-Arafat period.
He gave the breakdown of the casualties as: Plateau (1), Kaduna (2), Osun (2), Borno (1), Yobe (1), FCT (1), Benue (1) and Lagos (1); while private tour operators recorded three deaths.
According to Galadima, four pilgrims died at Arafat and two at Mina during the Muna-Arafat period.
He stated that 93 emergency and response cases were recorded, including cases of heat stroke, severe malaria, and five psychiatric cases.
He advocated for a thorough pre-hajj medical screening, followed by the issuance of a certificate of medical fitness.
Elderly pilgrims and the very sick, he said, should be discouraged from going to Jamarat (the site where pilgrims perform the symbolic stoning of the devil) and instead encouraged to use train services.
He also stated that the pilgrim grouping recommended by Saudi authorities should be enforced.
He urged states with operational ambulances to join the national medical team’s pool for a more coordinated response to emergency situations.
Goni Sanda, the commissioner in charge of aviation at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), announced that return flights for Nigerian pilgrims would begin on July 4 and end on August 3.