Hajj 2024: Lagos Seeks Support of Port Health Service on Vaccination

The Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has called for collaboration with the Port Health Service (PHS), on the vaccination and prompt issuance of yellow cards for the intending pilgrims for this year’s Hajj and Umrah exercises.

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The Board Secretary, Mr. Saheed Onipede gave this indication when he led some senior officers of the Board on a courtesy visit to the Director, Port Health Service, Dr. Omede Ogu, in his office at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

Onipede said, “Th whole essence of the visit was to allow for the two agencies plan ahead and ensure that necessary strategies are put in place for a seamless vaccination exercise and issuance of the yellow card, which is a compulsory document every intending pilgrim must possess.”

He appreciated Dr Omede and his officials for the quality service rendered to the State during the last Hajj operation, while assuring him of the State Government cooperation with the Federal Government’s Agency to ensure that all its intending pilgrims are adequately vaccinated against infectious diseases in order to satisfy the requirements for international travels.

Onipede maintained that about two thousand intending pilgrims who had fully paid the ₦4,899,000.00 Hajj fare shall be performing the spiritual exercise through the State this year.

Delivering on Mandate

Responding, Dr. Ogu appreciated his visitors and eulogised the dexterity of the Board Secretary and his team towards delivering the statutory responsibility of the Board in the State.

He stressed that, “His office which is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Health will again collaborate and cooperate with the State Government in the provision of qualitative medical service delivery to the intending pilgrims.”

While emphasizing that its National Headquarters has designed a new template for the filling and recording of the information of Y2024 intending pilgrims, he urged the Board Secretary to follow the template and immediately furnish his office with the required information about the intending pilgrims so that his agency can commence work early.

He also took his guests round the new laboratories at its Ikeja office, saying the facility has all it takes to carry out every medical screening and deliver results in ample time.