…as Kingdom goes tough on NUSUK card

…over 45,000 Nigerians airlifted in 106 flights

By Haroon-Ishola Balogun

NAHCON’s Medical Mission in Saudi Arabia has received a donation of 300 units of Malaria Test Kits from Saudi Arabian Makkah, Ministry of Health (MoH).

The items were received when representatives of the Ministry, Dr Yahya and Dr Bandar, paid a courtesy visit to NAHCON’s Main Clinic at Misfala Kudai, AL-MUSAFIREEN Hotel, Monday.

At hand to receive the guests was Dr Abubakar A- Isma’eel, Head of Nigeria’s Medical Mission for 2024 Hajj season.

The visit followed recognition of NAHCON clinics as highly responsible and professional. This confidence reposed in the Commission’s primary healthcare system was created by responsible synergy between NAHCON’s health work force and those of the Saudi MoH via a two-way communication/action strategy; if NAHCON clinics refer serious cases to any of the Saudi hospitals, they stabilize the patients, then return them to NAHCON clinics for continued clinical observation. This reduces the bed occupancy at Saudi hospitals.

Sharing of original Malaria Test Kits with NAHCON clinics to facilitate early diagnosis for prompt treatment indicates the level of earned confidence of the Kingdom’s Health Ministry by the NAHCON health facilities.

In another development, NAHCON’s Commissioner of Policy, Personnel Management and Finance, Prince Aliu AbdulRazak witnessed the 2024 Hajj airlift from the South-South region.

The Rivers State Governor, His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara bade the Rivers State contingent farewell at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa on Tuesday. Governor Fubara admonished the pilgrims to be law abiding and to pray for the state as well as for Nigeria.

The Governor then supported each pilgrim with a cash donation of US$300 to augment their $420 Basic Travel Allowance.

The NAHCON Chairman, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, expressed satisfaction with both developments.

Meanwhile, Four Nigerian pilgrims from FCT were arrested by Saudi Authority for not wearing their NUSUK ID card in Makkah.

The pilgrims were arrested a few meters away from their Hotel NAMA AL-ASRIYA opposite land premium in Shara Mansur, Makkah, close to where NAHCON medical clinic where officials and Media men are housed.

Upon scrutiny of their document, presented by officials, three were said to have had their NUSUK card on the portal, but not printed, while the document of the fourth pilgrim did not contain the mandatory NUSUK card.

It was however gathered that the pilgrims were later released to NAHCON officials.
FCT official blamed the issue on the challenge of activation through the Saudi Hajj portal, advising pilgrims to always go out with their Visa, where NUSUK card is not available.

Saudi Arabia is not taking the new rule on NUSUK card with kid gloves, as it was determined to control the influx of illegal pilgrims at the holy sites this time.

More than one million foreign pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia through the Kingdom’s air, land and sea ports for the upcoming annual pilgrimage of Hajj billed to start next week Friday, June 14.

Over 46,000 Nigerian pilgrims are already in Saudi Arabia as at Thursday evening. Airlift of pilgrims to the Kingdom is scheduled to end on Monday, four days before the closure of the air space and land borders.