The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has expressed displeasure with the number of pregnant Nigerian female pilgrims who found their ways to the holy land for this year’s Hajj exercise.
The head of the Nigerian Medical Team, Dr. Usman Galadima in an interview in Makkah said one of the pregnant women was assisted to deliver while others were referred to women hospital for proper medical attention and care.
He reiterated that it was not morally right to allow pregnant women to embark on pilgrimage due to the stress, and risks such women are exposed to, or may encounter during the exercise.
The head of the medical team also expressed worry that some pilgrims with underlining illnesses were in the holy land without authorised medicaments. He stressed that the Saudi security at the airports allow entry with such prescription drugs if they are in their original packs and of reasonable quantity.
Dr. Galadima, however explained that sadly, information reaching him showed that the drugs were usually seized right from Nigeria and not at any of the Saudi airports, due to lack of proper information, enlightenment and education on such drugs and medicaments, as they relate to such patients.
He asserted that this has exposed some of the patients to high risks, and ultimately, medical admission and referrals to Saudi hospitals, as the sugar and Blood Pressure levels of some have reached crisis level.
