Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, emphasized the urgency of continuous improvement in the management of Indonesia's Hajj pilgrimage organization. During the National Working Conference (Rakernas) for the Evaluation of the 1447 H/2026 AD Hajj Pilgrimage Organization, he highlighted two crucial sectors requiring serious attention: the optimization of health services and the arrangement of facilities in Mina.
Although there was a 25 percent decrease in pilgrim mortality this year, the Hajj Minister considered this achievement insufficient. He stressed that strengthening health istitha'ah (fitness to travel) policies must continue to be matured to reduce health risks for pilgrims in the Holy Land. This step is deemed essential to ensure that pilgrim safety standards remain the highest priority for organizing authorities.
Beyond health aspects, the management of the Mina area was a major focus of the evaluation agenda. The Minister committed to overhauling or upgrading services in Mina to provide better comfort and safety for Indonesian pilgrims. According to him, all innovations implemented so far, including the use of the Nusuk card, must be continuously evaluated for their field effectiveness.
In preparation for future Hajj challenges, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah also held a retreat to enhance human resource capacity. This activity aims to strengthen synergy, physical, and mental preparedness among all staff so they remain ready to provide professional and humanistic service to the guests of Allah.
In conclusion, the Hajj Minister expressed deep appreciation to all stakeholders, including the PPIH (Hajj Organizing Committee), the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and the Indonesian National Police (Polri), for their collaboration in making this year's Hajj operations a success. He expressed hope that this spirit of coordination can be maintained to continuously improve the quality of Indonesia's Hajj services in future seasons.
