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LIPPO CIKARANG - Health ministers in the Arab world have decided not to allow elderly, children and ill from going on the Muslim pilgrimage later this year. It is a preventive measure to stop the spread of the H1N1 Mexican Flu virus that has killed some 900 people worldwide since March this year. The virus is easy to spread, but does not kill at a high rate.
With two million pilgrims heading for Saudi Arabia in the coming months however, people in groups that are more likely to die of the virus are banned from going in the first place. The question is whether the Indonesian government will follow in this guideline, since flying over 200.000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia is a highly profitable business for a number of companies and government agencies in Indonesia.
Since all pilgrims need to have a special passport, income here will be lower. Most people do not have a tax registration number and will have to pay fiskal (exit tax) upon leaving the country, 2.500.000 Rupiah if leaving by plane. Furthermore Garuda Indonesia - a state-owned company indeed - will fly all pilgrims to and from Saudi Arabia. What does Ms. Healthcare, Siti Fadilah Supari, think about this smart agreement? Will she follow, or are Indonesian lives less important than money?
Arab health ministers on Wednesday agreed to exclude certain groups including the elderly, children and the ill from Muslim pilgrimage in a bid to curb the spread of A/H1N1 flu. People who are under the age of 12 or over 65 and people who suffer from chronic diseases like blood pressure, kidney and liver would not be permitted to go for Hajj and Umrah, Hussein Gezairy, WHO Regional director for Eastern Mediterranean, said at a press conference.
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