13 Candidates For Indonesian Hajj Sick In Medina Departed To Makkah Followed By Pilgrims Using Ambulances Traveling 5 Hours

The Indonesian Hajj Health Clinic (KKHI) team in Medina, Saudi Arabia, dispatched sick patients to Mecca, Friday (9/6/2023). (Antra-Nur Istibbsaroh)

JAKARTA - As many as two Indonesian Hajj candidates who were treated at the Madinah Indonesian Hajj Health Clinic (KKHI) due to illness were dispatched to Makkah on Friday, June 9 morning Saudi Arabia time.

The person in charge of the evacuation of the KKHI Medina, Dr. Rikho Ade Putra, said the two Hajj candidates were transferred where the group had arrived in Makkah to continue the series of Hajj services.

"The evacuation of sick patients by ambulance was carried out because their flying group (cluter) had left for Mecca early," said the person in charge of evacuating KKHI Medina, Dr. Rikho Ade Putra during patient departure.

The two patients who were evacuated were a 53-year-old Hajj candidate from the KNO 003 Embarkation with a stroke and a 88-year-old Hajj candidate from the PLM 002 Embarkation who had heart disease and lung infection.

"There was one patient who was accompanied by his wife. So in the ambulance there was one patient lying down, the other sat down, namely one other patient, his wife, and one doctor and nurse each, as well as the driver," he said.

Da explained, until now there are 13 patients who need to be evacuated to Makkah and departure starting this morning Saudi Arabia until June 16, 2023.

Rikho said that the evacuation of prospective Hajj patients to Makkah in a day could be carried out twice because there was only one ambulance available.

He continued, while the trip from Medina to Mecca took five hours, back and forth for 10 hours had not yet rested, so a day only two departures in the morning and evening.

"They (the patients who were evacuated) have the most heart and lung disease. They are all elderly," he said.

He added that on Friday night, June 9, as many as three sick hajj candidates would be evacuated to Makkah.

The three of them, namely, one 62-year-old elderly from the BTJ 004 Embarkation with an infection in the leg as well as obesity, one 80-year-old from the BTJ 004 Embarkation, and one from the KNO Embarkation with lung disease.

Before leaving for evacuation from KHHI Medina, the Regional Work (Daker) consultant will ask prospective pilgrims to wear ihrom clothes and recite the intention of Umrah.