Dr. Anees Sindi, Deputy Commander of the Command and Control Center (CCC), has assigned Dr. Wael Tashkandi to serve as the leader of MERS-CoV control team, pertaining to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) crisis unit; i.e., the Command and Control Center.
The designation of Dr. Tashkandi comes in recognition of his positive contributions to the CCC, where he led the CCC Clinical Operations Platform through a successful Hajj season in 1435H.
“We have seen improvements across the Kingdom in its efforts to combat MERS-CoV,” Dr. Tashkandi said. “Together, we will continue to expand the use of best practices developed with our international partners in response to coronavirus and ensure they reach all patients.”
As the MERS-CoV champion, Dr. Tashkandi will be responsible for ensuring that our nation is prepared to effectively respond to any MERS-specific health threats. Focusing exclusively on the disease, Dr. Tashkandi will coordinate and drive the contribution of all CCC platforms and external parties, including the Ministry of Agriculture, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to enact knowledge-based solutions that serve and protect the people of Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Tashkandi, a consultant in critical care and general surgery at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, received his M.B. Ch.B from the Faculty of Medicine at King Abdulaziz University, and completed a Critical Care Fellowship at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Tashkandi is also an esteemed member of the Arab Board of Surgery, King Abdulaziz University, since 2008.
The MoH launched the Command and Control Center in June 2014 under the direct supervision of His Excellency the Acting Minister of Health, Eng. Adel bin Mohamed Faqih, in conjunction with international experts and organizations such as the WHO and CDC. The Center is staffed with clinicians, scientists, researchers, healthcare experts, and emergency planning experts. It offers the Ministry the ability and capacity to real-time monitor developing health concerns across the Kingdom, and to ensure that health challenges are managed with a systematic, holistic and comprehensive approach.
Since June 2012, the total number of MERS-CoV cases in KSA has reached at least 810 confirmed cases. As part of the move to building a comprehensive preparedness program based on international best practices and knowledge-based solutions, up-to-date statistics are published on a daily basis, and can be reached at
the CCC’s website.
For more information about ways to prevent MERS-CoV, contact the (937) infectious disease hotline or visit
the Ministry’s website.