The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, six individuals have reportedly lost their lives during the Hajj rituals in Mina and Arafat.
This information was shared by Dr. Usman Galadima, the Head of Medical Mission at NAHCON, during a Stakeholders’ meeting in Makkah on Sunday.
With these six deaths, the total number of fatalities during the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage has reached 13.
The report from the NAHCON medical team indicates that Kaduna and Osun States each lost two pilgrims, while Plateau, Borno, Yobe, FCT, Benue, and Lagos states each lost one pilgrim. Additionally, three pilgrims from tour operators also lost their lives.
During his presentation, Galadima clarified that out of the total deaths, seven occurred before the Misha’ir, which involves the movement from Mina to Arafat and back to Mina, while the remaining six pilgrims passed away during the Misha’ir.
He said: “Some of the challenges faced in Mina included increased pressure on the ambulance services, increased congestion in Mina, and poor sanitization”.
Furthermore, Galadima revealed that two Nigerians required hospitalization during the five-day Hajj rites, while the medical team attended to a total of 93 emergency cases, which included three instances of Chickenpox.
The team also documented five cases of psychiatric conditions, seven cases of heat stroke, twelve severe cases of malaria, and seven cases of diabetes emergencies.
In the meantime, Goni Sanda, the Head of Aviation at NAHCON, shared that the inaugural return flight to Nigeria had been scheduled for July 4th and would continue until August 3rd.
He mentioned that both officials and pilgrims would be accommodated on a “first come, first to depart system.”
He however stated that most officials may spend “nothing more than 45 days in Saudi Arabia to ensure smooth return of Nigerians home.”
