HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Haj Committee will be focusing more on health check-ups among the pilgrims this year.
The committee had informed all state Haj panels to conduct a screening for tuberculosis this year. As per international health standards, persons going to Haj receive meningitis vaccine and oral police vaccine.
“After the vaccination, an international health certificate is issued. Only on showing the certificate, the pilgrims are allowed entry,” said Professor S.A. Shukoor, special officer, Telangana State Haj Committee.
Central Haj Committee officials, who were in the city recently, informed the local committee about the precautions to be taken. “In the Haj 2017, around 200 persons with tuberculosis had gone on the pilgrimage. They were identified during the screening in Saudi Arabia. This year, TB vaccine will be administered or they will be asked to take proper treatment before embarking on the pilgrimage,” said Mr Shukoor.
So far 15,253 pilgrims had submitted applications for the Haj pilgrimage in 2018. Of these, 14,843 pilgrims applied in the open category while the remaining are in the reserve category of 70-plus age group.
Across India, about 3, 37,000 persons had submitted the applications. The last date is December 22.
