The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, is committed to carrying out a comprehensive overhaul of the Hajj pilgrimage management system. During the National Working Meeting (Rakernas) on the Evaluation of the 1447 AH/2026 CE Hajj Pilgrimage Implementation, the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, emphasized two crucial points that will be top priorities moving forward: strengthening the health sector and optimizing services in Mina.
Although this year's Hajj implementation is considered to have shown positive progress with a 25 percent decrease in pilgrim mortality rates, the government feels that this achievement is not yet enough. Irfan stressed that the strengthening of istitha'ah, or the health readiness of pilgrims, must be tightened so that unwanted risks can be further minimized during the upcoming Hajj season.
In addition to health aspects, long-standing issues regarding comfort in Mina were a major focus at the Rakernas. Minister Irfan demanded that his staff make fundamental improvements to ensure the safety and comfort of pilgrims while in the area. According to him, any improvement effort impacting the well-being of pilgrims must be an absolute priority for the government.
During the meeting, Minister Irfan also expressed his appreciation to all parties involved, ranging from officials of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, PPIH officers, to members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police (Polri). He expressed hope that this cross-institutional synergy would continue to be maintained to deliver more professional and humane Hajj services for all Indonesian people.
As part of the internal strengthening agenda, the series of Rakernas events was also followed by a retreat aimed at enhancing human resource capacity. This step was taken as an effort to strengthen solidarity as well as the physical and mental readiness of all Ministry staff in facing the increasingly complex challenges of Hajj management.
