The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) of the Republic of Indonesia plans to make a significant breakthrough in organizing the Hajj pilgrimage by making the Health Manasik program mandatory for all prospective pilgrims starting in 2027. This policy is adopted as a preventive measure to ensure that the physical condition of the pilgrims is truly prime, while also adapting to the increasingly strict health standards set by the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Support for this discourse comes from Commission VIII of the House of Representatives (DPR RI). A board member from the PKB Fraction, Mahdalena, emphasized that health manasik must be positioned as the primary screening tool in assessing istithaah, or the health capability of the pilgrims. According to her, this program is not merely a fulfillment of administrative requirements, but a crucial instrument to minimize medical emergencies and pilgrim mortality rates while in the Holy Land.
Mahdalena explained that through early detection, medical teams would have more time to conduct interventions, guidance, and treatment for prospective pilgrims with a history of comorbidities. The focus of the education will not be limited to laboratory checks but will cover medication management, nutritional adjustments, independent physical exercise, as well as techniques to prevent dehydration and the risk of respiratory tract infections in the Saudi Arabian climate.
Furthermore, the legislator from NTB emphasized that the standardization of the health manasik must be immediately and massively socialized to all local governments and the Hajj and Umrah Guidance Groups (KBIHU). She hopes that the collective commitment of all Hajj organizers can eliminate any ceremonial impression of this program, so that it truly succeeds in producing pilgrims who are healthy and physically resilient when performing the Hajj pilgrimage.
