‘Why Saudi Arabia banned kolanut during this year’s hajj’

The Commissioner representing Federal Ministry of Health on the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON)’s Board, and Chairman Medical Committee 2016 Hajj, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, tells Daily Trust exclusively why Saudi Arabia banned kola nuts during this year’s hajj.   Daily Trust: What is the National Medical Team all about? Dr. Ibrahim Kana: This is […]

The Commissioner representing Federal Ministry of Health on the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON)’s Board, and Chairman Medical Committee 2016 Hajj, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, tells Daily Trust exclusively why Saudi Arabia banned kola nuts during this year’s hajj.
 
Daily Trust: What is the National Medical Team all about?
Dr. Ibrahim Kana: This is part of the reforms we are introducing into the medical services for pilgrims. It is aimed at improving services, increased efficiency, improved coordination and collaboration with the states, and importantly responding to the fiscal situation facing Nigeria.
It is important to also note that the Saudi Arabian health authorities have consistently expressed displeasure over the substandard clinics many states proliferate illegally during Hajj. In fact, the Saudis welcomed this initiative with satisfaction. I must add that Nigerian pilgrims would now assess better medicare with the harmonisation of all the medical teams into what we now call National Medical Team.
DT: How would you compare the health care measure of previous Hajj exercises?
Kana: Certainly with the harmonised National Medical Team, I am sure pilgrims are poised to receive better services.
DT: What issues do Nigerian pilgrims commonly complain about?
Kana: Every year, we analyse disease patterns amongst Nigerian pilgrims which helps us in planning, forecasting drug requirements, as well as planning awareness campaigns for pilgrims. The top clinical conditions are myalgia, upper respiratory tract infections and cardiovascular diseases.
As a result of these, we have made arrangements for drugs, including anti-retroviral drugs for sufferers of HIV as well as anti-tuberculosis drugs.
DT: Are there new health measures for this year’s hajj different from previous years?
Kana: There are really no new measures this year because by Allah’s grace, we don’t expect any epidemic. The only concern is the extreme temperature pilgrims are going to be exposed to this year. It is expected that temperature could be as high as 45 degrees centigrade. The dangers posed to pilgrims are the risk of heat stroke which is potentially lethal. We have been campaigning to pilgrims to try and remain indoors, but if they must go out under the sun, they must endeavour to mobilize umbrellas and cultivate the habit of drinking water and sprinkling same on their heads.
DT: Is there any health issue related to kola, hence its ban for pilgrims in this year’s Hajj?
Kana: Kola nut has not been found to have any significant negative impact on human lives. In fact, some people believe that some species of Kola nut have medicinal value. Having said that, the enforcement of its ban into Saudi Arabia is not health related per se but part of laws sovereign countries apply. Besides, the law is not new except that the Saudis just decided to enforce it this year.
In my opinion, it is not for Nigerians to contest or protest, but to abide by the rules and regulations, which indeed is part of Islamic injunctions.
DT: What is the update on the missing Nigerians during last year’s Minna stampede?
Kana: While I remember with sadness the events of the stampede that occurred during the 2015 Hajj, I must say that the NAHCON deployed all its resources to ensure that Nigerian pilgrims involved were given excellent medicare while in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The leadership of the NAHCON did its best during that unfortunate tragedy.
The last Nigerian pilgrim that was on admission in Jeddah due to the stampede has since been discharged and returned to Sokoto State.
I have to also say that all Nigerians confirmed dead were given decent burials as stipulated by Islam. Each corpse was buried in his or her individual grave. No mass burial was conducted.
DT: Why was is difficult to identify Nigerians despite the DNA samples that were extracted from families of missing pilgrims?
Kana: In an attempt to identify all the pilgrims, NAHCON took blood samples from first degree relations of the victims and physically deposited them in a forensic laboratory in Makkah. The samples were run against the samples in the DNA bank and 90 per cent had positive confirmation.
However, we intend to work with the Saudis during the 2016 Hajj to ensure that the remaining missing pilgrims are identified.
DT: What are the peculiar challenges of your unit in Hajj exercises and how are you addressing them?
Kana: Certainly there are lots of challenges, but Alhamdulillah, we have learnt to work for the goodness of pilgrims.
The main challenges include indiscipline, poor personal hygiene, poorly informed pilgrims but the most worrisome is the fact that Nigerian pilgrims always come to our clinics just to collect drug which in itself can be poisonous as they do not need most of them.
My appeal to pilgrims is to improve their personal hygiene, be prayerful and eat properly cooked food. Pilgrims must avoid eating left over food. On our part as officials, we must always show empathy to the guests of Allah.