India Strengthens Medical Care for Haj Pilgrims

This year, 1,20,000 Indian pilgrims undertook the Haj pilgrimage. The Union Health Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Minority Affairs, deployed 356 medical professionals to provide healthcare. The health secretary released a document outlining the medical care arrangements, emphasizing improvements from lessons learned over the past two years.

This year saw a remarkable turnout of 1,20,000 Indian pilgrims for the Haj pilgrimage, accompanied by stringent medical care measures laid out by the Union Health Ministry. A detailed document on these arrangements was released by Health Secretary Apurva Chandra, alongside key stakeholders like the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Collaborative efforts between the Emergency Medical Relief Division and the International Health Division ensured that 356 doctors and paramedics were deployed to attend to health concerns, marking significant learnings from previous years. Approximately 40,000 pilgrims were over the age of 60, necessitating round-the-clock medical services amid harsh weather conditions.

Chandra highlighted the continuous monitoring facilitated by a live portal developed with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), which offers real-time data on medical care activities. This initiative underscores India's commitment to assisting its citizens abroad and showcases its capability to rise as a global example in healthcare services.