Kuala Lumpur: More than 31,000 prospective Malaysian Haj pilgrims have undergone health screenings and are now fully registered in the International Patient Summary (IPS) system via the MySejahtera application, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. The IPS initiative enables healthcare practitioners in the Holy Land to access key medical information such as health history, medication records, and allergies by simply scanning a quick response (QR) code.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the introduction of IPS allows the Saudi Arabian government to provide swift intervention through its medical teams in the event of any health incidents. Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad said that for this year’s Haj season, the digitalisation process has been fully implemented, with the health information of Malaysian pilgrims securely stored via IPS and accessible remotely through a QR code as reported in the MySejahtera app.
Dr. Dzulkefly made these remarks at a press conference following a meeting between the top management of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Medical Taskforce Delegation to the Holy Land for the 1446H/2025M Haj season. Last year, he announced that Malaysian Haj pilgrims in 2024 would be equipped with IPS through the MySejahtera app to facilitate treatment should any health issues arise during the pilgrimage.
Feedback from Saudi Arabia on the IPS has been encouraging, making it easier for their medical teams to assist ailing pilgrims. The Saudi authorities have embraced the IPS system almost immediately. With IPS, medical teams can instantly access all summary medical records and past health procedures, allowing them to deliver treatment quickly and effectively.
When discussing challenges facing the MOH Haj team, Dzulkefly highlighted extreme heat as a major concern expected to affect pilgrims this year. He urged medical personnel and pilgrims to avoid prolonged exposure to heat to prevent heat stroke and related conditions and emphasized the importance of staying hydrated. A total of 268 MOH health workers will be deployed for this year’s Haj season.
On March 21, Tabung Haji Chief Executive Officer Datuk Syed Hamadah Syed Othman announced that the first flight of Malaysian pilgrims to the Holy Land for the 1446H/2025M season is scheduled for April 29, with the final batch of pilgrims expected to depart on May 30.