As part of its plan to achieve efficient and effective health care management during Hajj operations, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) is planning to restructure the operation of the National Medical Team (NMT) to reduce both cost and the number of personnel.
This forms part of the report submitted by a committee set up by the Hajj body to review the National Medical Team (NMT) guidelines submitted to NAHCON Acting Chairman/CEO, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi.
According to the report, re-structuring the NMT operation is expected to ensure accessibility and a healthy operation that will help to achieve cost reduction and reduce the number of personnel in the face of Nigeria’s current economic reality.
One of the proposals of the 18-man committee is the institution of the concept of volunteerism in the appointment of medical personnel to the NMT.
This, the committee noted, would entail the procurement of travel visas, the provision of accommodation and transportation, and the payment of stipends to applicants who have been appointed to the NMT.
Receiving the committee report at the Hajj House in Abuja on Thursday, Malam Arabi expressed appreciation to the committee members for their commitment and diligence.
He assured that the report would be diligently studied to bring out a robust working book that will satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerians, including the intending pilgrims and those who will go on pilgrimage in the future.
“I want to thank you profoundly for your sacrifice and to assure you that we will work on the report dispassionately. We shall study the provisions of the reports and the recommendations therein.
“I congratulate and appreciate your commitment and diligence, and I want to assure you that whatever we bring out will satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerians, the intending pilgrims, and those who wish to perform the pilgrimage in the future,” Arabi said.
He declared that NAHCON would continue to provide oversight and work with partners and stakeholders to ensure that pilgrims’ healthcare services were given the utmost priority.
Given the fast-approaching 2024 Hajj operation, Arabi assured that the commission would take action on the report to ensure the implementation of the guidelines therein.
According to him, “I can assure you that we will expedite action to ensure the full implementation of the provisions in the guidelines, including some of those that were partially done in the past,” he said.
Speaking earlier while submitting the report, the chairman of the committee, Dr. Saidu Ahmed Dumbulwa, asserted that the report would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the NMT during the 2024 Hajj.
He added that the report would offer NAHCON a roadmap to the financing and provision of health services to intending pilgrims while in Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“I am confident that the implementation of the report will yield positive and desired results within the shortest possible time,” Dumbulwa said.
The committee, which was inaugurated on Thursday, November 23, 2023, was saddled with the responsibility to evaluate the effectiveness and identify the shortcomings in the current national medical team guidelines; analyse and assess the roles of relevant stakeholders in Nigeria and their key contributions in the context of the NMT operations, among others.
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