UAE conducts mock flu drill

Abu Dhabi: The first mock drill on H1N1 (Swine Flu) attack on the region has been conducted in Abu Dhabi jointly by the Emirates National Emergency Medical Response Programme (ENEMRP), the Emirates National Emergency Medical Response Academy (ENEMRA) and the Advanced Integrated Systems (AIS).

The exercise aimed at training medical, administrative and technical cadres to effectively face any eventual swine flu case in the country.

The training programme, code named "Estijaba", was conducted according to World Health Organisation (WHO) and American Emergency Authority standards, as part of the mobile hospital services exercise to test the combat readiness of the UAE health delivery system to face any Swine Flu eventuality.

A team made up of representatives of the UAE Armed Forces, ministry of health, interior ministry, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE Red Crescent Authority, Zayed Foundation, Khalifa Charity Foundation and some private entities such as Al Noor Hospital, participated in the mock drill.

Humaid Al Qutami, Minister of Health, assured the public that the UAE had taken all necessary preventive and curative steps to deal effectively with the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus and to prevent it from reaching the country and to treat any case should the virus succeeded in slipping in.

In a TV programme aired last night by Dubai TV, the minister said the UAE is implementing all the steps approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO), adding that a hotline had been opened with the WHO to know the latest developments and updated measures for swift implementation.

He reassured the general public that there is enough Tamiflu medicine in storage. He said about 5 million of the drug is currently in stock, adding that the figure is higher than the stipulated international average requirement, which is to have adequate drug to cater for 10 percent of the total population of the country.

He said Tamiflu is very effective in the treatment of the virus, adding that efforts are being made worldwide to develop a very effective drug that can fully cure the disease and this is expected to be achieved by September this year.

He warned that Tamiflu must not be dispensed without prescription from a qualified medical doctor or hospital because abusing the drug by unnecessarily taking it would lead to complications and side effects.

He also warned that anybody selling the drug without medical prescription will be liable to a punitive action by law.