Ombudsman Reviews Elderly-Friendly Hajj Services at Banjarmasin Embarkation Point
Banjarmasin - The Representative of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) for South Kalimantan Province has reviewed the elderly-friendly Hajj services for prospective Hajj pilgrims who are elderly as well as those with disabilities at the Banjarmasin Embarkation Point for the 2026 Hajj season.
Head of the Ombudsman RI Representative for South Kalimantan, Hadi Rahman, while inspecting the Hajj Dormitory at the Banjarmasin Embarkation Point in Banjarbaru City on Tuesday, stated that he had directly dialogued with priority prospective Hajj pilgrims such as the elderly, frail pilgrims, and those with disabilities.
He expressed appreciation for the various improvements in services that are increasingly humane and friendly towards these priority pilgrims.
According to him, the existence of a new building dedicated to priority pilgrims is a concrete step to improve the quality of public services in the embarkation environment.
“With the presence of a special building designated for priority pilgrims in this new building, it greatly assists the pilgrims in accessing various services at the Hajj dormitory, from room access, healthcare services, meals to staff assistance, all of which appear more organised and facilitate the pilgrims,” he said.
“We see that the prepared rooms are quite representative, with easy access, maintained cleanliness, and supporting facilities also available well. This certainly reflects the government’s commitment to providing the best services to the Hajj pilgrims,” he added.
According to Hadi, good services are not only measured by the completeness of facilities but also by the attitudes of the staff in serving the pilgrims.
He hopes that the quality of these services can be maintained and even improved in the subsequent Hajj seasons.
Head of the South Kalimantan Ministry of Religious Affairs Office and Chairman of the Hajj Organising Committee at the Banjarmasin Embarkation Point, Eddy Khairani, expressed thanks for the attention and appreciation given by the Ombudsman RI to the organisation of services at the Banjarmasin Embarkation Point.
According to him, the presence of the Ombudsman serves as motivation for all staff to continue improving the quality of services to prospective Hajj pilgrims, especially those priority pilgrims.
The Banjarmasin Embarkation Point in South Kalimantan for the 2026 Hajj season will dispatch 19 batches, namely 14 batches from South Kalimantan and five batches from Central Kalimantan.
The total number of prospective Hajj pilgrims at the Banjarmasin Embarkation Point is 6,822 people, namely 5,197 from South Kalimantan and 1,561 from Central Kalimantan.
As of 12 May 2026, 13 batches have already been dispatched, with the number of pilgrims departed totalling 4,672 from South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan.