Over 100 pilgrims cared for, reunited with families: Indian Haj Mission

New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) Citing an incident where it rescued and provided immediate medical care to an elderly Indian Haji, the Indian Haj Mission said on Tuesday that it has provided necessary assistance to more than 100 pilgrims by reuniting them with their families during this year's pilgrimage.

"An elderly Indian Haji was found lying in a weak state due to heatstroke. She was quickly transferred to the Haj Mission-run medical camp in an ambulance which was also operated by the mission, where adequate medical treatment was provided and the Haji was reunited with her family. More than 100 Hajis have been cared for and reunited with their families this Haj 2024," the mission posted on ‘X’ on Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday, Consul General of India in Jeddah Shahid Alam visited various camps of the Indian Haj pilgrims in the Tent City of Mina.

"During the visit, he interacted with the Indian Haj pilgrims to take their feedback on the services provided to them in Mina and also to take stock of their overall well-being," said the Indian Haj Pilgrims Office.

The mission mentioned that 24-hour support, including medical care through dispensaries, ambulances, healthcare on the go with doctors/paramedics providing requisite services on foot as per requirement, support for guiding pilgrims, tracing lost pilgrims, care for those with mobility issues, has been made available to the Indian pilgrims.

Last weekend, over 1,75,000 pilgrims from India converged on sacred Mount Arafat outside Mecca in Saudi Arabia to offer their prayers during the Haj pilgrimage.

While there have been several unfortunate incidents reported during this year's Haj pilgrimage - over a dozen Jordanians died due to heat stroke or other reasons and several others went missing - the Indian authorities said that they have left "no stone unturned" in providing necessary assistance to the pilgrims.

India received a total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for Haj 2024 with 1,40,020 seats being reserved for pilgrims to proceed through the Haj Committee of India and 35,005 pilgrims permitted to proceed through Haj group operators.

The government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been making efforts over the last few years to make the Haj pilgrimage a transparent, uniform, cost-efficient, safe and spiritually fulfilling experience for the pilgrims. The Indian Haj Mission, the biggest operation of its kind handled by the government of India outside the Indian borders, closely coordinated logistics with the Saudi authorities this year to make several new initiatives a success.

Last month, in a historic first, Indian Haj pilgrims arriving at the Jeddah airport travelled to Mecca by High Speed Haramain Train instead of buses.