Muktadesh Desk: The Saudi Arabian government will no longer allow anyone with a chronic disease to perform Hajj. The country’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has instructed that every potential pilgrim must submit a ‘health risk-free’ certificate after a health check-up.
On Monday (November 10), the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah sent a letter to all countries sending pilgrims. It said that weak or seriously ill people may be at serious risk during Hajj, so their participation is being limited. The letter details the physical conditions under which a pilgrim will not be allowed to perform Hajj.
A pilgrim will not be allowed to perform Hajj if his or her major organs are not functioning. These include kidney disease that is on dialysis, severe heart disease, lung disease that requires constant oxygen, and severe liver cirrhosis. In addition, people with serious neurological or mental illnesses, the very elderly with dementia, late-term pregnancy, and high-risk pregnancies at any level will also not be allowed to perform Hajj.
The Saudi government will also not allow people with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, viral hemorrhagic fever, and cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or any other intensive immunotherapy treatment to perform Hajj.
In the case of sending pilgrims, Saudi Arabia has requested the authorities sending pilgrims to issue a mandatory valid health certificate for each pilgrim on the Nusuk Masar platform, certifying that they are free from health risks.
The letter, calling for full cooperation in monitoring at the arrival and departure points, said that the monitoring team will verify the authenticity and accuracy of the health certificate issued through the Nusuk Masar platform. If a pilgrim from a country is found to have a listed health condition, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will take corrective and restrictive steps against that country.
In this regard, Religious Advisor Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain said that physical fitness is very important in the smooth and safe management of Hajj. The health restrictions of the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will be strictly followed in sending Hajj pilgrims from this country.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has requested people suffering from chronic diseases not to register for Hajj before the registration begins. Hajj agencies have also been instructed in this regard. Two Bangladeshi doctors are participating in a workshop held in that country at the request of the Saudi government to get a detailed idea on this issue.