THE STORY
I had no choice but to mark him as ‘GAGAL’ (failed) in his Tabung Haji medical book.
When I was a junior doctor at a district clinic, one of my duties was to assess people preparing for their pilgrimage. One day, a 60-year-old man came to see me. He had diabetes and congestive heart failure (NYHA Class III). He could barely walk 20 meters without needing to rest, his legs were swollen, and his diabetes was poorly controlled with an HbA1c above 10%. Despite receiving treatment at a tertiary hospital, his condition hadn’t improved, and he refused insulin.
After my assessment, I had no choice but to mark him as ‘GAGAL’ (failed) in his Tabung Haji medical book. He was furious and said, ‘If God asks me why I didn’t go for Hajj, I’ll tell Him it’s because of you.’
Later, I heard that he found a private clinic that passed his medical assessment, and he went for Hajj anyway.
This experience made me realize the importance of educating our community that preparing for Hajj isn’t just about having the money—it’s about being physically ready. Hajj is demanding, both physically and mentally, and we need to ensure our fitness matches the challenge.
