How The Ministry Of Health Prevents The Demention Of Elderly Hajj Candidates

Saudi Arabian PPIH worship consultant Umi Musyarofah provides guidance to Sumiah (62), the wife of the late Suprapto, the first congregation to die in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Monday (5/6). (ANTARA PHOTO/WAHYU PUTRO).

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health has made a cognitive stimulation approach to overcome dementia that is prone to the experience of pilgrims aged over 60 years during worship in the Holy Land.

"Cognitive stimulation is carried out by inviting patients and socializing," said Head of the Health Division of the Saudi Arabia Hajj Organizing Committee (PPIH) from the Ministry of Health M. Imran as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, June 6.

Dementia is a disease that causes a decrease in memory and way of thinking for sufferers. Diseases are prone to occur in the elderly community group.

Symptoms are followed by disorders of the way of thinking, such as disorientation of places, times, and forgetting those around them.

Generally, the symptoms that can be seen at the beginning seem easy to forget, especially for incidents that have just been experienced, then it is difficult to learn new things, difficult to concentrate, including difficulty remembering the time and place, especially after they moved from their village to embarkation or to the Holy Land.

Imran said the incident was experienced by several prospective Hajj pilgrims from Indonesia. One of them was an incident that recently went viral on social media videos when an elderly hajj candidate asked to go home to feed his chicken at home.

The incident caught the attention of netizens, because it took place in the aircraft cabin on the way from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia.

In addition, there are several cases of prospective pilgrims who have arrived in the Holy Land, but still think he is in his village.

Imran said dementia is one of the vulnerable diseases that needs to be anticipated in organizing this year's Hajj. The reason is that there are 45 percent of the total 200 thousand quotas of prospective hajj candidates who are prone to dementia.

Hajj health workers have been alerted to provide assistance to patients until they recover and invite them to socialize with their colleagues to prevent dementia.

"This dementia is a phenomenon of Indonesian pilgrims this year, because the number of elderly people is more than in previous years," he said.

Hajj candidates who experience dementia are immediately referred to the Indonesian Hajj Health Clinic (KKHI) in Medina to get cognitive stimulation therapy. Usually, after this therapy, the patient's memory will recover," said Imran.

After the patient is declared cured, what still needs to be watched out for is the potential for dementia triggered by dehydration due to patient fatigue during worship.

"For those who are elderly, it is recommended to rest enough and not force themselves to do activities outside of Hajj activities, because the weather is hot," he said.

Head of the Hajj Health Center of the Ministry of Health, Liliek Marhaendro Susilo, appealed to prospective hajj pilgrims, especially the elderly and have a high risk of health not to force themselves to do excessive physical activity.

"In accordance with each other's abilities in worship," he said.

Then, for healthy independent pilgrims, they must participate in supervising and providing assistance to the elderly and those who are comorbid.

"We also ask prospective hajj candidates to be aware of the hot weather in Saudi Arabia by always using personal protective equipment, such as umbrellas, masks, black glasses, water sprays, and footwear, when outside the hotel," he said.

He appealed to prospective hajj candidates not to forget the intake of drinking water at least one glass or 200 ml per hour.

"Don't wait for thirst, because there are rarely thirst because of the focus of worship," he said.

For pilgrims who have comorbid diseases to take regular drugs as recommended, and check themselves regularly to Hajj health workers.

"If there are complaints from unhealthy bodies, immediately contact the nearest health officer, whoever the health worker is, so that action can be taken immediately," he said.