The Head of Data Unit of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’s Medical Centre in Mecca, Dr. Jibrin Suleman has said 19 Nigerian pilgrims died of heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes and other related ailments during the just-concluded Hajj.
The death was separate from the casualty figure recorded by the nation during last Thursday Hajj stampede in Jamarat in Mina.
He said more than 10,000 pilgrims were treated in NAHCON’s five clinics in Madinah and Mecca for cold, malaria, body pain and other simple and non-complicated cases.
Suleman gave the statistics while briefing the Leader of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Hajj, Sen. Ali Wakili when he visited the centre in Mecca.
Suleman said the 19 deaths involved pilgrims between 65 years and above.
On his part, the Head, Medical Team of the centre, Dr. Muhammad Bello Abdulkadir, said the clinics were stocked with necessary drugs.
“We brought some of the drugs from Nigeria, while others were procured in Saudi Arabia,’’ he added.
He also said NAHCON recruited 232 medical staff, including doctors, nurses, and others to man the clinics.
He, however, complained that the centre had no ambulance to move to the pilgrims’ hostels during emergencies.
Wakili said members of the ad hoc committee were going round NAHCON facilities in Saudi Arabia to evaluate the situation and find out challenges confronting the agency.
