Covid vaccination mandatory for hajj pilgrims

FE REPORT
The intending hajj pilgrims must receive coronavirus vaccine and obtain health certificates thereafter before flying to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for performing holy hajj this year.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) gave the instruction in a circular issued on Saturday.
The ministry also asked the pilgrims to compulsorily show their Covid-19 vaccine and health test certificates during immigration at the airport.
The MoRA also said health check-up of hajj pilgrims will start soon at the renowned government designated hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres and medical colleges.
The hajj pilgrims were also asked to have their chest x-ray, ECG, blood group, urine-RME and blood sugar tests done at the government designated hospitals, medical colleges and diagnostic centres before taking coronavirus jab.
They were also advised to bring the reports of x-ray and those tests while appearing at the hospitals, medical colleges or designated centres for taking coronavirus jab.
If those tests were done within the previous three months, the hajj pilgrims do not need to have those done further, said the ministry.
They will only go to the coronavirus vaccination centres with their medical test certificates.
The hajj pilgrims under private management must also bring printed copy of e-health profile form with their hajj registration certificate to the vaccination centres.
The hajj pilgrims under government management must also have printed copy of e-health profile form to be collected from their nearest hajj registration centres like Islamic Foundation at the district level, deputy commissioner's office or hajj office at Askona in the capital while appearing at the centers for taking vaccine.
If needed, a hajj pilgrim can get his/her e-health profile printed out by writing tracking number and searching at hajj related portal.
The hajj agencies by using their own user ID must provide printed out copy of health and corona vaccine certificates to their respective hajj pilgrims.
On the other hand, pilgrims under government management can obtain printed copy of their health and corona vaccine certificates either from the vaccination centre or nearest hajj registration centres.
If any hajj pilgrim fails to get vaccinated within the deadline, he/she can get vaccinated (corona) and get health certificates from Askona Hajj Camp in the capital.
The religious affairs ministry further said health check-up and corona vaccination for hajj pilgrims this year will be done at 79 centres across the country.
It unveiled a list of health check-up centres for hajj pilgrims, which was provided by the department of health on Saturday.
All the districts' (63) civil surgeon offices will help provide health check-up and corona vaccination services to the intending hajj pilgrims.
The health check-up and corona vaccination centres in the capital are: Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, Government Employees Hospital, Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital, Bangladesh Secretariat Clinic, Dhaka Cantonment Combined Military Hospital, Shaheed Tajuddin Medical College Hospital, Gazipur and Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com