Yesterday the civil surgeon of Bhola made a phone call to Professor Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, the director of communicable diseases control at the health directorate, to seek advice about issuing an International Health Certificate (IHC) to an elderly man.
He said the man had been suffering from heart disease and had already been operated for a blockage.
The Hajj medical board members at Bhola told him the Saudi government was not in favour of those above 65 years of age and those suffering from heart and kidney problems, diabetes and other complications, performing Hajj this year.
The move has been prompted due to an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus (MERS-CoV) in the country, which has already killed 38 people out of the 68 who had been infected, between September 2012 and July 2013.
The elderly and those already suffering from health risks are more vulnerable to the MERSCoV.
However, the elderly man dismissed the health risks. “It would be good for me if I die while performing Hajj in the holy Makkah and Medina,” he told the medical board.
He repeatedly requested all doctors of the medical board to issue him an IHC so that he could go to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj.
Director Ahmed told the civil surgeon to explain to him the health risks involved but also instructed that if he still insisted, he should not be disappointed.
Speaking to this correspondent, Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed said: “I get phone calls almost every day not only from the civil surgeon of Bhola but also from different district medical boards who say they are facing an awkward situation while issuing IHC to the pilgrims. The IHC is a prerequisite for all pilgrims to get Hajj visa.”
“It is the tradition in our country that most of the people go to perform Hajj at an old age. The number of pilgrims this year is about 90,000,” he said.
The Directorate General of Health Services has opened medical centres throughout the country, including district hospitals and medical college hospitals from August 17 onwards to conduct health check-ups on prospective pilgrims.
Civil surgeons are heading the medical boards in district hospitals and professors are leading the team in medical college hospitals.
They are in charge of issuing IHCs to the pilgrims. Before issuing the IHC, each pilgrim is being administered two vaccines of influenza and meningitis free of cost.
The vaccines are available in the capital’s Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Salimullah Medical College Hospital, Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Sarkari Kormochari Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital and the Secretariat Clinic.
Brigadier General Mustafizur Rahman, the director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they have opened two booths for medical examination and for providing vaccination to pilgrims.
“More than 1,500 IHCs have been issued so far. Most of the pilgrims are elderly, but we try to be strict about sick pilgrims before issuing IHC,” he added.
A medical centre will be opened in the Ashkona Haji Camp today.
A total of 42 doctors, nurses, ward boys and cleaners have been appointed to give medical services, administer vaccines and issue IHCs at the camp.
Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that a 162 -member medical team, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, ward boys and cleaners has been formed to go to Saudi Arabia and provide services to Bangladeshi pilgrims over there.
They will be divided into three teams and will stay at Makkah, Medina and Jeddah.
