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Sufferings of pilgrims

30 December 2003, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By M A Matin, Uttara, Dhaka
30 December 2003, 18:00 PM
As a non-balloti pilgrim from Uttara area, I, accompanied by three of my colleagues, visited the Hajj camp medical centre at Ashkona on December 28, 2003 for taking meningitis vaccine which is a must for every pilgrim as prescribed by the Saudi government. We had with us a request letter from the concerned Hajj agent addressed to the medical officer of the Hajj camp. But when we approached the medical camp personnel to vaccinate us, they refused to do so.

They advised us to go to the civil surgeon's office at Malibagh.

We came to know from the Hajj office that they want every pilgrim who comes to the medical camp with necessary papers to be vaccinated, because they think that it might not be possible for everybody to go to the respective civil surgeon's office. The Hajj camp authorities appeared to be sympathetic to the pilgrims.

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We smelt a cold dispute between the medical personnel and the general administration of the Hajj camp causing sufferings to the innocent pilgrims. We wonder why specific instructions from the ministry of health to the Ashkona medical centre have not been given . We know that this vaccine is given free of cost. So common sense goes that nobody is answerable for the number of vaccines they offer, if proper statistics are maintained.

Under such circumstances, may we request the authorities concerned to investigate the matter and instruct the Hajj camp medical centre, Ashkona, to serve the pilgrims coming over there with proper identification with a view to reducing the sufferings of the pilgrims.