The Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has sought the cooperation of the Port Health Service (PHS) Lagos State office, in the area of vaccination and prompt issuance of the yellow card for the intending pilgrims that would be performing this year’s Hajj and Umrah exercises in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Board Secretary, Mr. Saheed Onipede, made the plea when he led some senior officers of the board on a visit to the PHS Director, Dr. Omede Ogu, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, on Tuesday.

Onipede who used the medium to appreciate Ogu and his officials for the quality service rendered to the state during the last Hajj operation, said the board embarked on the visit in order for the two agencies to 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.

While noting that there is still room for improvement, he assured his host that the State Government would fully cooperate with the Federal Government’s agency with a view to ensuring that all its intending pilgrims are adequately vaccinated against infectious diseases such as meningitis, yellow fever and oral polio in order to satisfy the requirements for international travels.

Onipede said about 2,000 intending pilgrims who had fully paid the ₦4,899,000 Hajj fare shall be performing the spiritual exercise through the state this year.

Ogu thanked the Board Secretary and his team for the visit. He added that since his assumption of office, the Board Secretary had shown great commitment and dedication to the statutory responsibility of the Board.

He stressed that his office which is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Health is ready as usual, to 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 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.

Ogu also used the medium to take 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. The Board Secretary was accompanied on the visit by Director, Admin and Human Resource; Miss Adejoke Raheem; Director Operations Mr. Shamisdeen Akanni, and Director, Public Affairs Mr. Taofeek Lawal.

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