The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has expressed concern over the number of pregnant women that sneaked into Saudi Arabia for the ongoing Hajj exercise.
The head of the Nigerian Medical Team to the 2023 Hajj, Dr Usman Galadima, expressed the concern yesterday in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, during a chat with members of the Hajj National Media Team.
Galadima said no fewer than 75 pregnant women sneaked into the Holy land, adding that one of such pregnant women was assisted to put to bed, while some others were referred to a women’s hospital for proper medical attention and care.
According to him, it is not permitted to allow pregnant women to embark on pilgrimage due to the stress, risks, and hazards they are exposed to or can encounter during the exercise.
He said 30 women were referred to hospitals in Madina, while another 45 have been referred in Makkah.
Galadima said, “We have had cases of advanced pregnancy. We have seen a case of seven months pregnancy that had to be admitted. We have those who had to be taken to Women’s Hospital in Makkah here for admission and urgent care.
“This is despite our cautionary call against pregnant women coming into the Kingdom (Saudi Arabia). This is because of the physical exhaustion and the tendency to have complications associated with such.
“We advised against pregnant women coming to Hajj. We have had so many cases of pregnant women coming for the Hajj. We have had so many referrals. In Medina, we have referred more than 30. In Makkah, we have referred up to 45.”
He also expressed worry that some pilgrims with underlining illnesses came to the holy land without their authorised medicaments.
Galadima said that Saudi security, at the airports, would allow entry with such prescription drugs if they were in their original packs and of reasonable quantity.
He, however, said that the information reaching him was such that the drugs were normally seized right from Nigeria and not at any of the Saudi airports.
He added that this was due to a lack of proper information, enlightenment, and education on such drugs and medicaments, as they relate to such patients.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Galadima said this had exposed some of the patients to high risks and, ultimately, admission and referrals to Saudi hospitals as some of them were recording sugar and blood pressure, reaching crisis levels.
