Muslim Pilgrims attending this year’s Hajj, have been advised to be open about their health.

“We urge pilgrims to be open to our medical team about special health needs they might have,” said Alhaji Mohammed Amin Lamptey, Deputy Communications Director, Pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana, to the Ghana News Agency in an interview at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.

He said whilst the Hajj authorities ensured that pilgrims were medically checked before they departed as part of pre-departure requirements, it was very important that pilgrims with special health needs, consulted the medical team on hand and explained their condition.

“This would help prevent problems that could come up later during the Hajj,” he said, adding, “it makes things very difficult for us, when pilgrims conceal critical health conditions and needs, which may later come up and become much more complicated to deal with,” Alhaji Amin said.

Meanwhile, the Hajj Village at the Kotoka International Airport is rounding up activities to receive the pilgrims.

“We are putting everything in place to ensure the comfort and safety of the pilgrims,” he added.

The first batch of Muslim Pilgrims is expected to leave Ghana for Mecca in Saudi Arabia, on Thursday September 3rd, 2015, to perform the annual Hajj, which is the fifth Pillar of Islam.

A total of 5,424 Muslim pilgrims, are expected to leave Ghana for the Holy land of Mecca to perform this year’s Hajj.

The pilgrims are expected to leave in 12 batches which would be respectively ferried by twelve flights.

The last batch is expected to leave the country on September 14th, 2015.