Dr Farhan has done his medical studies in prestigious medical colleges in India, Russia and the US. He is the life support instructor of Advanced Cardiology at King Abdullah Medical City. Dr. Farhan is also specialised in diabetic management and care.

SA: Now that the Hajj session is around the corner, and Indian Hajis are in preparation of their travel, a matter of concern is the worsening health conditions of the Indian pilgrims during Hajj. Before the pilgrims travel, all over India there are camps and training sessions for them on how to perform Hajj with all the spiritual aspects of the pilgrimage. There is not a lot discussed about the health precautions and treatments people would require. What is your advice on this? What are the health precautions to be taken by the pilgrims before they travel?

Dr.Farhan:I totally agree with you. As we know Hajj is a big event and for this big event, we have to prepare from the beginning. I myself performed my Hajj with the Indian Hajj Committee in the year 2008 and I found that what you are saying is true. There are a lot of camps to teach you about the spiritual aspects but there is less awareness about health and health is a very important factor when the Hajis are coming to Makkah. Because, this is a foreign land and they do not know about the diseases prevalent there. This itself is stressful and very hectic. Since everyone wants to perform it well, there is an added stress, physical as well as mental. So,when your body gets exposed to this stress, you get acute symptoms. That is why we should concentrate on our health before going for Hajj. I remember, when I was planning to perform Hajj, my mother was 62 years old and was planning to come with me. We made sure one month before the travel that she should go for a walk with me in the morning and evening so that she can physically adapt herself.

My father was a cardiac patient, so I was apprehensive about taking him with me. But two months before Hajj, I started taking care of him with medications. I discussed with the consultants, his cardiologist, all his doctors regarding the medications that should be taken and about his health, his weight and physiotherapy. You are going for Hajj; Allah has called you, but you have to be prepared physically, mentally and spiritually. If you are physically fine, spiritually and mentally you will fit there. In short, I want to say that we have to prepare before going for Hajj, we have to take care of our health, if we have any chronic diseases, we have to make sure they are under control. If there is an introduction of new medication, it should be done one month before or 15 days before traveling. We should be aware of our health and our medications.

Sometimes people are absolutely negligent of their health at Hajj. I can give you an example. Generally, since the hospital where I work is near Arafa, we meet a lot of Hajis who come to us with cardiac arrest, heart attack and myocardial dysfunction. When they are told that they will be admitted for one or two days they ask if they can go for Umrah again after they get discharged. We have to change that thinking. We have to explain it to them.

SA: Health and hygiene in Makkah and Madinah is maintained very well and the government is taking excellent care about it. Even then, because of the crowd and changed weather, all the common ailments are expected. It can be inconvenient to have to find clinics easily. What are the common medicines that can be carried from India or can be procured there easily to combat these small symptoms of flu, fever, etc.?

Dr.Farhan:What I personally recommend is when people are coming for Umrah or Hajj, they should have paracetamol with them, it is a drug for fever and acts as a painkiller too. People come with lots of medications. Instead of doing good, they worsen the condition. Because, a lot of painkillers are not good for the kidney and when they are already dehydrated, these painkillers do more harm than good. So first on the list is paracetamol, then antibiotics prescribed by the doctors, allergy medicines if you are allergic to something and cough syrups. Then if you have muscular pain, They can keep some antispasmodicsto combat muscular pain. The pilgrims have the responsibility to take care of others as well so carrying some life saving drugs like aspirin is also important. Some people are allergic to sunlight so additionally they should carry sunscreen, and vaseline to moisturize the hands and feet because air in Makkah and Madinah is very dry. This will help you to avoid going to the doctor each time..but there is nothing to worry as these medicines are always available at the Indian Mission. They have camps in all the place in and around Makkah and Madinah. Some organizations are very active and provide services to Hajis.

SA: Health and hygiene in Makkah and Madinah is maintained very well and the government is taking excellent care about it. Even then, because of the crowd and changed weather, all the common ailments are expected. It can be inconvenient to have to find clinics easily. What are the common medicines that can be carried from India or can be procured there easily to combat these small symptoms of flu, fever, etc.?

Dr.Farhan:What I personally recommend is when people are coming for Umrah or Hajj, they should have paracetamol with them, it is a drug for fever and acts as a painkiller too. People come with lots of medications. Instead of doing good, they worsen the condition. Because, a lot of painkillers are not good for the kidney and when they are already dehydrated, these painkillers do more harm than good. So first on the list is paracetamol, then antibiotics prescribed by the doctors, allergy medicines if you are allergic to something and cough syrups. Then if you have muscular pain, They can keep some antispasmodicsto combat muscular pain. The pilgrims have the responsibility to take care of others as well so carrying some life saving drugs like aspirin is also important. Some people are allergic to sunlight so additionally they should carry sunscreen, and vaseline to moisturize the hands and feet because air in Makkah and Madinah is very dry. This will help you to avoid going to the doctor each time..but there is nothing to worry as these medicines are always available at the Indian Mission. They have camps in all the place in and around Makkah and Madinah. Some organizations are very active and provide services to Hajis.

SA: There is a common saying that goes, ‘prevention is better than cure’. People have their own food habits in their places, and when they go to a different country, where the weather conditions are different, the eating habits are different, the availability of food is different, So to stay energetic and to stay healthy, what food habits and eating patterns are to be followed by the Hajis?

Dr.Farhan:Actually, when people come to perform Hajj, most of the Hajis have the same mentality. They think if they eat well, they can perform the rites better. We should eat according to the Sunnah. That is eating in moderation. Having three meals a day is not a problem, but they should be aware that the weather in Makkah and Madinah is very hot, so spicy and oily food should be totally avoided, Because it causes more dehydration and weakness eventually. And diet is according to the person how he wants. The most important thing is that we should eat moderately. Avoid overeating, because people think that by eating more food they can perform better, and clearly that’s not true.

SA: I am very sure that the authorities of Saudi Arabia have facilitated all the health care facilities. What are the special healthcare facilities provided especially for the pilgrims? And what are the ways to avail this? Is it easy to avail these health care facilities?

Dr.Farhan: I am working in one of the big hospitals. I’m really impressed by the facilities which they are providing for the Hajis. First of all, during Hajj, we have different people speaking different languages who can translate. For example, If we get some Malayali patient, we have nurses who can translate in Malayalam. I can also speak 3 to 4 languages. I also work like a translator and as a doctor. We have a whole committee to communicate with the people coming from any part of the world. The Saudis are providing the best facilities which you may not get anywhere else in the world. I work in a cardiac emergency department and during Hajj we carry out a lot of angiographies, we put stents and pacemakers. In India, or any other part of the world these things cost a lot..about ten thousand dollars. Masha Allah the Saudis provide it for free, A beautiful gesture to serve the pilgrims in all ways possible. During Hajj for about two weeks, all the hospitals in Makkah are on high alert. All the doctors and nurses are working in 12 hours shifts, so that the Hajis will get the best treatments.

SA: I had this question in my mind and you have answered it..is it necessary for the people to know the local language to avail health facilities and you have given an extensive explanation about it.

Dr.Farhan:Now the technology is so advanced. So… when the Hajis want to converse with the medical staff that may not know their language with the advanced technologies these days they can go for online translations. Even if they cannot type only their voice instructions will do the work.

SA: As you know that Aura is a magazine managed by women and has women as its major readers, it is very necessary to know from you if there are things that women should take care of, in particular pertaining to their health?

Dr.Farhan:As today is Mothers’ Day I would like to wish all of you a Happy Mothers’ day. I would like to say that women are very strong mentally and that they possess strong will power by which they can achieve whatever they want. With this strong will power they come mentally well prepared for Hajj but they need to know that physical preparedness too is very important. They should walk more, they should get adapted to the conditions, they should know about it. Taking care of health and hygiene is crucial for women. As they share common toilets, chances of infections are very high. Before travelling, they should consult doctors, especially their gynaecologist, know their diseases and take precautions to combat them. It would be so sad if they travel a long way to perform the rites of Hajj and will be unable to do them properly just because of negligence about their health. They should know how to take care of these issues. Of course if needed we have good hospitals and very good doctors, but when one comes exclusively for worship, it is better to take care so that worship can be done in the best way.