MOH News

Doctor Abdulaziz Bin Saeed, the deputy of the MOH for Public Health and Head of the CCC, has emphasized the importance of implementing the infection control's mechanisms for infectious diseases. Attention was given to the respiratory viruses in health facilities, including the coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in specific. The procedures were adopted and circulated to all directorates of health affairs in the provinces and regions, which comes within the framework of the strenuous efforts exerted by the center to undertake the infectious diseases, and the ministry's constant attempt to support and provide all factors to reduce epidemic diseases in the Kingdom.

This occurred during the center's periodic meeting which was held today, Tuesday; March 17th, indicating that the ministry will not hesitate to enforce penalties on those who remiss in following the procedures. The meeting revised the daily cases infected with the virus and the procedures taken against it, with the participation of sciences from the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who aim to help in the MERS-CoV researches to answer questions regarding its risk factors.

Meanwhile, the MOH demands avoiding direct contact with camels, specially the new borns. The latest study on camels, which was made in the UAE, showed that among more than 800 samples 96% of them were positive and the majority were under the age of two years. Based on this result, separating baby camels from their mothers should be postponed till the end of the second year to reduce the possibility of human exposure to the infected camels.

Within the same vein, the meeting discussed the plan of the MERS-CoV awareness campaign that was recently launched by the ministry under the theme “We Can Stop It”. It involved many awareness activities and events performed by the media platform in the CCC, in addition to discussing the reassessment of coronavirus treatment centers, and the suggestion made by one of the colleagues to divide them into three levels; Discrimination Centers as previously known, Treatment Centers, and Support Centers. Over and above, Doctor Abdulaziz Bin Saeed assures that the ministry will continue in its efforts to control the virus, praising the magnificent efforts of all sectors supporting the ministry in this field.