Elderly Friendly Services Provided for Hajj Pilgrims

A number of elderly-friendly services have been prepared to make it easier for elderly pilgrims to carry out the Hajj pilgrimage.

KOMPAS/EVY RACHMAWATI

The atmosphere welcoming the arrival of the first batch of Hajj pilgrims at the Al Ghadeer Hotel, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Monday (20/5/2024).

MEKKAH, KOMPAS — Older Hajj pilgrims receive special services to make it easier to carry out the Hajj pilgrimage. Apart from getting standard elderly-friendly accommodation facilities, elderly pilgrims can also access wheelchair services when carrying out the mandatory Umrah pilgrimage at the Grand Mosque.

Head of the Regional Accommodation Division of Mecca's Hajj Organizer Team, Zaenal Muttaqin, expressed this on Thursday (May 23, 2024) in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

According to Zaenal, a total of 170 hotels are prepared for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims numbering 241,000 people. Of the total number, around 41,000 people are elderly pilgrims. "Until now, 29,134 members of the Indonesian Hajj pilgrimage are already in Mecca," he said.

Also read: Shalawat Bus Makes Hajj Pilgrims' Mobility Easier

"We have coordinated with hotel owners to prepare elderly-friendly services, including providing wheelchair access and special routes for elderly pilgrims. Elderly pilgrims are also prioritized to be placed in rooms near elevators for easy evacuation in case of emergency," he said.

KOMPAS/EVY RACHMAWATI

A number of Shalawat buses are getting ready to take Indonesian Hajj pilgrims to the terminal in the Masjidil Haram complex in the City of Mecca, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (22/5/2024) night. The Shalawat buses serve Indonesian Hajj pilgrims 24 hours a day, every day, to facilitate their mobility from hotels to Masjidil Haram.

Hotel owners are also requested to provide elderly-friendly facilities, starting from the lobby by providing resting places or sofas for pilgrims who have just arrived from the city of Medina. Hotel staff are also asked to provide elderly-friendly bathrooms such as handrails. "Staff are on standby 24 hours," said Zaenal.

Based on observations in a number of hotels in Mecca, senior-friendly facilities are available. In addition to wheelchairs and special wheelchair lanes, there are stickers labeled as priorities for the elderly that are attached to walls near seating areas in hotel lobbies such as Al Ghadeer Hotel. There is also a team of elderly officers from PPIH.

We have coordinated with hotel owners to provide senior-friendly services, including providing wheelchairs and special paths for elderly pilgrims.

For the wukuf worship process in Arafat, Muzdalifah, and Mina during the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage, the PPIH has prepared around 300 hotel rooms for elderly pilgrims who cannot stay in tents. "We also prepare several necessary equipment for elderly pilgrims," he said.

Wheelchair service

Previously, the Head of the PPIH Transportation Division at the Ministry of Religion, Mujib Roni, said that for elderly pilgrims, a specially designed Shalawat bus was prepared with a lower deck and could accommodate wheelchairs. There are 20 Shalawat buses specifically for seniors passing through 170 congregational hotels.

KOMPAS/EVY RACHMAWATI

A number of elderly pilgrims arrived at the Masjidil Haram complex in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to perform mandatory umrah and pray on Wednesday (22/5/2024) using wheelchairs. Wheelchair services are available for pilgrims in need, such as the elderly, to perform tawaf and sai.

In the Masjidil Haram complex on Wednesday night (23/5/2024), elderly pilgrims carried out the mandatory umrah and prayed with the help of accompanying congregants or used wheelchair pushing services. One elderly pilgrim admitted to paying a wheelchair pushing service 250 riyals, equivalent to Rp 1.1 million, for their tawaf and sai.

Also read: Elderly Friendly Hajj, Anticipate Crucial Points

For example, Siti Kharomah (74), a resident of Lamongan, East Java, chose to use a wheelchair to perform the umrah pilgrimage because she finds it difficult to walk long distances. "I fell before the departure to the Holy Land, so I use a wheelchair. If my husband is healthy, then I don't need to use a wheelchair," she said.

PPIH has prepared two terminals around Masjidil Haram, namely Syib Amir and Ajyad. In these two terminals, Shalawat buses operate 24 hours a day to facilitate the mobility of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims in line. There, wheelchair push service providers gather to offer their services to newly arrived pilgrims.

KOMPAS/EVY RACHMAWATI

An elderly Hajj pilgrim in the first batch arrived in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, after traveling from Medina, Monday (20/5/2024).

However, some elderly pilgrims at the Ajyad Terminal complained about the attitude of several wheelchair pushers who competed for pilgrims, causing disruptions and discomfort. Meanwhile, the wheelchair pushers wearing official vests are recognized by the local government.