Samira lauds Hajj innovations

Mrs. Samira Bawumia, yesterday, lauded the Ghana Hajj Board for the innovations it has introduced into the annual religious exercise.

She was speaking as the special guest of honour during the commissioning of the Hajj Village Clinic; the cutting of the tape which she performed.

She was supported by the National Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Sharubutu and top officials of Unibank at the Hajj Village near the Kotoka International Airport.

She was pleased that the Ghana Hajj Board is focusing on the health needs of pilgrims as she recalled an incident when a Ghanaian pilgrim suffered a challenge requiring immediate attention. The innovation, she said, would go a long way in addressing critical health issues of Ghanaian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

Hajj 2017, she said, looks promising and would be one devoid of the perennial challenges suffered by Ghanaian pilgrims.

Hajia Samira urged prospective pilgrims to cooperate with the Hajj Board to ensure a smooth Hajj.

Sheikh I.C. Quaye, Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board, was full of praise for Unibank, the bank behind the clinic project.

He reiterated the commitment of the board to deliver a smooth Hajj. According to him, for the first time in the history of the Hajj, Ghanaian pilgrims would enjoy free meals in Madina, Saudi Arabia and Jeddah.

“Ghanaians in that country, he said, have been engaged to prepare local dishes for our people,” he said.

He praised the National Chief Imam whose support for the Hajj has been wonderful, especially, since new board assumes office.

Clifford Mettle, Director, E-Banking Products & Marketing of Unibank, sponsors of the project while speaking during the occasion, explained that Unibank has been doing business with the Hajj Board over the years and would continue to do so.

He promised that Unibank recognises the two main faiths in the country and would therefore continue to support the Hajj.

He made a presentation of an assortment of items to the Board, among them a bull, bags of rice and others.

The bank, he assured, is ready to do more to support the Hajj operations. He was accompanied to the commissioning by some officers of the bank.

Dr. Seidu Zakariah, Head of Communications, spoke about the content of the screening exercise, a cornerstone of the health innovations.

Each prospective pilgrim would be taken through various screenings just so their authentic medical records can be fed into a database to be managed by the IT Department.