Gulf | Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia to form scientific panel in fighting swine flu
Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah has directed to constitute a scientific committee to work out conditions and modalities for medical check up and treatment of those affected by swine flu at all the entry points to the Kingdom.
- By Abdurahman Shaheen, Correspondent
- Published: 18:27 June 28, 2009
Riyadh: UAE Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah has directed to constitute a scientific committee to work out conditions and modalities for medical check up and treatment of those affected by swine flu at all the entry points to the Kingdom.
The committee, which would comprise of international experts and consultants, would come out with proposals to put them in place before the ensuing peak season of Umrah and Haj.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a four-day international workshop, kicked off in Jeddah on Saturday and organised by the Ministry of Health, Dr. Khaled Mirghalani, spokesman at the ministry, said that the workshop will explore ways of formulating a set of preventive measures to combat the disease during the Haj and Umrah seasons. It would also focus on measures to be taken in view of the large influx of Haj and Umrah pilgrims.
As many as 20 experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organisation (WHO) are gathered in Jeddah to assess Saudi Arabia's precautionary steps as well as to offer recommendations and modifications if necessary. The workshop was aimed at studying methods of creating awareness, providing treatment and ways of preventing the disease.
In a telephonic talk with Gulf News, Dr. Mirghalani said that experts from the United Nations and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who toured Saturday the entry points used by the pilgrims, expressed satisfaction over the steps taken by the authorities. The inspection tour covered the southern and northern terminals of King Abdul Aziz International Airport and Jeddah Islamic Port, the main gateways for the pilgrims, as well as the Regional Health Laboratory. There are three centers, equipped with 14 thermal cameras, for checking the passengers at Jeddah airport, Dr. Mirghalani said.
Meanwhile, six new swine flu cases were registered in the Kingdom Saturday, taking the total number to 62, according to a ministry statement. The Ministry has quarantined all cases, said the statement. Dr. Mirghalani said most of those affected by the disease had been discharged from hospital after recovery and the rest is undergoing treatment at various hospitals, and they are under close monitoring of the health officials.
On his part, said Dr. Ziyad Maymash, assistant undersecretary for preventive medicine at the ministry and coordinator of the program for the Jeddah workshop, denied reports that the international experts, while visiting the Jeddah airport and seaport, had noted some shortcomings in the precautionary measures taken by Saudi authorities.
Abdul Ghani Maliki, director of health facility at Jeddah airport, said that all the passengers coming over to the Kingdom through the airport have been subjected to inspection by thermal cameras in order to ascertain that whether none of them affected by swine flu.
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