BTN News: Amid scorching summer in Saudi Arabia. Hajj this year began causing deaths of Indian pilgrims today after the shocking news of the natural death of 98 Indians on a single day as confirmed by Indian Foreign Ministry here. While the mercury has shot up to around these levels, this time it’s clearer as substantially more than 1,75,000 Indian pilgrims secured this penance are attempted every year departure. The GDA demands strong state of medical preparedness and support system for the pilgrims. The Indian government is coordinating with two global health organizations to meet these challenges and prevent further future pilgrims from being exposed to this virus.
Rising Toll During Hajj
One of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj pilgrimage this year claimed 1,081 lives reported by ten countries — a reminder of the hazards faced by pilgrims. With the annual walk and extended prayers taking up much of the day in Saudi heat, pilgrims are at a greater risk to their health with another hot pilgrimage.
Indian Response & Health Initiatives
True to its words, Government of India has been forthcoming as far as looking after the Hajjees from within India is concerned. The Union Health Ministry released a detailed document specifying the roadmap for health services to be available to the pilgrims. Key initiatives include:
Updated Medical Screening: Improves the physical condition Rigor in examination of health & fitness of Hajj seekers.
Health Cards and Vaccination Camps: Health cards given to selected pilgrims and vaccines made available through organized camps spread across the states.
The Deployment of Health Desks and Medical Personnel: Creating health desks in the embarkation points, as well as delegating healthcare workers to accompany pilgrims.
Such as Medical Infrastructure: to deploy medical facilities/ services at different Hajj sites for immediate and effective medical facility.
Worldwide Perspective on Death due to Heat
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also emphasized how extreme heat causes at least 500,000 fatalities per year. But the group warns that the real figure could be much higher — perhaps up to 30 times higher. It also highlights the importance of global collaboration (1) and increased medical preparedness in the era of warming planetary temperatures.
Moving Forward
With millions of Muslims attending the pilgrimage each year, it is essential for both governments and global health authorities to step up in ensuring that the safety and public health of all attending pilgrims come first. India’s initiative in better responding to climatic conditions that impose risk on its citizens during the Hajj pilgrimage is important. Through better emergency preparedness and response, the idea is to avert these kinds of heartbreaking losses again.
