His Excellency the Minister of Health, Eng. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, has praised the efforts exerted by the Health Affairs Department at the Ministry of National Guard in dealing with the status quo, as the incidence of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is on the rise. This came during the Minister’s inspection tour through King Abdulaziz Medical City at the National Guard in Riyadh, within the framework of his inspection tours, and the ongoing cooperation and coordination between all health facilities and sectors throughout the Kingdom.
After a two-hour meeting with the leading medical and administrative staff at King Abdulaziz Medical City (affiliated to the National Guard) in Riyadh, he lauded the high-level measures which have been taken to ensure safety in health facilities for both patients and visitors, as well as health professionals. To that end, the National Guard Health Affairs Department is espousing an effective system for infection control and curbing its spread.
He confirmed that the door is open for cooperation in all fields and whenever needed between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of National Guard, represented by the health sectors affiliated to it. In a previous meeting he held today with all directors of the Ministry of Health's hospitals and health facilities in Riyadh, he underscored raising level of alert and activating all preventive and precautionary measures to confront the Coronavirus and curb its spread, including obligating all health professionals to follow the necessary precautionary measures.
On his part, the Executive Director-General of Health Affairs at the National Guard, Dr. Bandar bin Abdulmohsen Al-Genawi, welcomed the Minister's inspection tour, which had been scheduled since the outset of last month, and which is coinciding with the critical situation that King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh is currently undergoing.
Dr. Al-Genawi lauded the visit which underpins the sincere efforts exerted by the MOH and Health Affairs of the National Guard in dealing with MERS-CoV, and raising the level of preventive measures aimed at maintaining safety and infection control. It is also reckoned part of the initiative of the MOH to collaborate in coordinating acceptance of patients from King Abdulaziz Medical City in the MOH's medical facilities, if the need arises.
He stressed that the strict measures that have recently been taken to close the emergency department and outpatient clinics, as well as to postpone the non-urgent surgeries and reducing visiting hours, will contribute, Allah willing, to controlling the spread of the disease, within the framework of cooperation with the MOH.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Health for Public Health, Dr. Abdulaziz bin Saeid, said that the virus has not yet become an epidemic at the national level, thanks to Allah, and is still under control and within the boundaries of the health facilities with congested emergency departments. He added that the measures in action accord with the international standards, and that the plan to deal with epidemics are effective and can be developed and updated as the daily developments may dictate.