BAHRAIN has been granted a 21 per cent increase in its Haj quota, meaning more pilgrims will be able to travel to Mecca this year for the annual ritual.
The cap has been set at 5,625 pilgrims, both Bahrainis and expatriates, which is 1,000 more than last year.
Haj quotas have been an issue since 2014 when Saudi Arabia’s Haj Ministry reduced the number of pilgrims from each country due to ongoing expansion projects.
Bahrain’s quota dropped to as low as 3,700, but has been subsequently increased over the years.
Saudi authorities usually allocate 1,000 places for each million Muslims per country.
“We are happy to see that more pilgrims can participate in the Haj this year and the medical mission is all set to assist them,” said Bahrain’s Haj Medical Mission co-ordination committee chairman Dr Ibrahim Obeid.
Meanwhile, he moved to reassure those pilgrims concerned about the risk of infectious diseases – with almost two million set to descend on Mecca from around the world.
“The potential risk of outbreaks and transmission of communicable diseases is reduced, but it cannot be ruled out,” said Dr Obeid.
“As far as the GCC is concerned we have compulsory vaccines for pilgrims that protect them from meningitis and influenza, which are the two major possibilities in the region.
“So far we haven’t had reports of deadly contagious diseases at the Haj, even when Mers-CoV cases were reported in Saudi Arabia.
“The crowd is massive and in close contact.
“Some developing countries have the risk of diseases like hepatitis, so therefore there is a need for hygiene education.
“But we are organising awareness sessions for pilgrims on hand hygiene, the necessity of wearing masks and reporting any kind of discomfort to clinics during the Haj.
“Food and water-borne diseases, as well as respiratory illnesses due to crowding, are possible so people should make sure they cover their face while sneezing or coughing and they should not share water bottles.”
Saudi Arabia has strict vaccination requirements for pilgrims prior to travel.
There are also plans to manage health risks during and after Haj, but Dr Obeid said there was more concern about the health of the chronically ill and most vulnerable pilgrims.
“There is a definite concern about chronic disease patients and also the elderly, children and pregnant women,” said Dr Obeid.
“We had two cardiac cases last year, which had to be rushed back to the BDF Hospital and one of them needed an angiography.
“We advise such patients to consult their own physicians before the pilgrimage and be ready with enough medicines.”
Haj is a five-day ritual and a once-in-a-lifetime religious duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it, being one of the five pillars of Islam.
Pilgrims perform a series of rituals which include walking counter-clockwise seven times around the Kaaba, travelling back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah, drinking from the Zamzam Well, holding a vigil at the plains of Mount Arafat, spending a night in the plain of Muzdalifa and performing a symbolic stoning of the devil.
It is immediately followed by the Eid Al Adha festival and this year the Haj runs from August 19 to 24.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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