All Hajj Pilgrims Will Be Monitored By The Ministry Of Health For 21 Days After Arriving In The Country

Illustration of a pilgrim from Indonesia departing for the Holy Land. (Antara)

JAKARTA - The Head of the Hajj Health Center of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Budi Sylvana said all pilgrims will receive health monitoring for 21 days after arriving in the country.

This monitoring is carried out by the health office where the congregation is domiciled. This is in accordance with the Circular of the Director General of Disease Prevention and Control Number HK.02.02/C/2782/2022 concerning Examination and Supervision of Hajj Pilgrims at Embarkation and Debarkation.

"This monitoring is intended as an early detection of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, Mers-CoV, Meningitis, polio, and diseases that have the potential to cause a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIOC)," Budi said in his statement, Friday, 15 July.

Budi explained that the pilgrims would be provided with the Hajj Congregation Health Alert Card (K3JH). During the 21-day monitoring period, the congregation was asked to immediately check themselves at the Public Health Center or other health facilities by bringing K3JH.

"Obviously for 21 days if symptoms of illness occur, the congregation must immediately report and seek treatment at the nearest health facility by bringing K3JH," said Budi.

Meanwhile, if within 21 days no symptoms of illness appear, the congregation must also submit K3JH to the nearest Public Health Center.

On that occasion, Budi also said that the congregation will immediately undergo a health screening process after returning to the country and arriving at the airport. Screening is in the form of checking the temperature through a thermal scanner and thermal gun, signs, and symptoms, as well as observing the congregation in the debarkation hajj dormitory.

"If a congregation is found with symptoms of fever or shows the potential for infectious diseases, further examination and antigen testing will be carried out. If the reagent results show reactive, further examination will be carried out," he added.