South Kalimantan Ombudsman monitors Hajj services to ensure pilgrims' rights are fulfilled

The Representative Office of the Indonesian Ombudsman in South Kalimantan (Kalsel) is carrying out field monitoring of the organisation of Hajj pilgrimage services for 2026 to ensure that the quality of services for pilgrims is met. The monitoring focuses on the effectiveness of basic pilgrim services, including access to healthcare, accommodation, meals, and support, with special attention to elderly, frail, and disabled pilgrims. In the activity, the Head of the South Kalimantan Ombudsman Representative Office, Hadi Rahman, along with his team, held direct dialogues with pilgrims, while the supporting party was represented by the Head of the South Kalimantan Provincial Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Office, Eddy Khairani, along with his team in Banjarbaru on Thursday. He stated that the improvement of facilities in the Hajj dormitory has shown significant changes in the quality of public services for prospective Hajj pilgrims. “With the presence of this new building, it greatly helps the pilgrims in accessing various services in the Hajj dormitory,” he said. Eddy Khairani mentioned that the presence of the Ombudsman is an important part in strengthening the supervision system and continuous service improvement. “We express our thanks for the input from the South Kalimantan Ombudsman, which becomes a driving force for us to continue improving services,” he said. He explained that synergy between institutions is key to ensuring that Hajj pilgrimage service standards can continue to improve from year to year. On that occasion, several recommendations were also highlighted, including strengthening service standards, complaint management, and the provision of emergency facilities for vulnerable pilgrims such as panic buttons in toilet areas. Through this supervision, it is hoped that the quality of Hajj pilgrimage services will become increasingly accountable and responsive, in line with increasing public trust in government services at the embarkation level.