Yenepoya Hospital holds vaccination program for Hajj pilgrims

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Sep 9, 2012: A Hajj vaccination program was held for the Hajj pilgrims of DK and Udupi at Yenepoya Hospital in Kodialbail on September 9, Sunday.

Yenepoya Abdullah Kunhi, MD of Yenepoya Group; Yenepoya Mohammed Kunhi, director of Yenepoya Group; H. S. Usman Haji, chairman of the district Wakf Board; Dr. Mohammed Thaheer, medical officer at Yenepoya Hospital; Haji Mohammed Haneef; and Haji M. A. Mohammed, were present.

According to H. S. Usman Haji, 1,145 pilgrims selected from Udupi, DK, Madikeri, Uttara Kannada, and Chikmagalur were given polio drops and other vaccination. A training program will be held for them on September 11, Tuesday, he said, adding that the Hajj Committee will bear their pilgrimage expenses.

Stating that this is the third annual pilgrimage undertaken ever since he took over as the chairman of the district Wakf Board, he said that 785 pilgrims were selected during the first year, 850 the second year, and 1,145 this year.

Speaking on the occasion, Yenepoya Mohammed Kunhi said that the Hajj State Committee got around 16,000 applications this year, and 6,000 of those selected are from Karnataka. Five thousand of them will leave from Bangalore and the rest will leave from Mangalore, he added.

Around five special chartered flights will arrive at Mangalore Airport, and one flight will take off per day. The pilgrimage will last 5 – 6 weeks, he added.

The pilgrims who leave from Mangalore will land in Madina and will proceed to Mecca via road. After the pilgrimage, they will fly back to Mangalore from Jeddah. They are expected to leave at the end of this month, but the dates have not yet been confirmed.