A four-member delegation from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) led by Mehmet Yazgan, has donated medical equipment to the National Hajj Committee (NHC) of Ghana.

The donation was at the request of Dr Mahamadu Mbeniwaya, Head of the Committee Medical Team to augment the drugs that the Committee has purchased for the 2013 pilgrimage.

Presenting the items, Mr Yazgan said the items were to support the medical team to help keep pilgrims healthier and fit in order for them to perform their religious duties well.

He said Turkey was committed to strengthening diplomatic ties with Ghana which would bring mutual development of the two nations.

Mr Yazgan said the office of the Turkish Prime Minister was ready to support Ghana in the areas of education, health and in other areas which would promote the country’s development agenda.

He said: currently, Turkish people were building schools and providing water in the country to some communities.

Mr Yazgan wished the Ghanaian pilgrims a happy pilgrimage and good health during their stay in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mr Abdulai Nashiru, Executive Secretary of the NHC, said the intervention was timely because “the items would help the medical team in their work.”

He said it would protect and enhance the well-being of the pilgrims from now till the end of the pilgrimage.

Mr Nashiru thanked TIKA for the gesture and appeal to other organizations to emulate the example shown.

Dr Kamil Mohammed Kamil, Assistant Head of the NHC Medical Team said: “the items are needed and would help the committee so much.”

TIKA is under the Office of the Prime Minister of Turkey and extends support to countries and also initiate developmental projects.

Earlier in the morning on Saturday, the NHC in collaboration with the Hajj Agents Association of Ghana organized a seminar to discuss the progress of work of the Committee.

The seminar brought prospective pilgrims, health professionals and traders at the Hajj village who expressed their views on how to make the 2013 pilgrimage incident free.