Health Minister Hamad Hassan visited the Nabih Berri Governmental Hospital in Nabatiyeh on Saturday afternoon, to follow-up on the issue of the two coronavirus suspected cases there.
Hassan was received by Hospital Director, Dr. Hassan Wazneh, where both men held a closed meeting in the presence of the concerned doctors to discuss the details of both cases, where it was confirmed that no medical symptoms of the coronavirus were detected.
Both cases are currently placed under home quarantine, in coordination with the Prosecutor General of Nabatiyeh and the Kfarreman Municipality Police.
After the meeting and the inspection tour in the section intended to be equipped as a wing for quarantine, Minister Hassan spoke to attending newsmen, saying: "Three constants must be emphasized: First, when there is an infection, we announce it in public and with full confidence relying on close examination. Secondly, the measures adopted by the Public Health Ministry in all land, sea and air ports are serious, and yesterday the World Health Organization made reference to the strict procedures taking place at Beirut International Airport, and this is a matter of pride. As for the third point which I would like to emphasize, it is the need for the media's commitment, and today we shall meet with the Information Minister to affirm that the media is the responsible partner."
"There are procedures and guidelines that ought to be adhered to accurately, and fully implemented, and we must prevent certain sides, particularly on social media sites, from circulating malicious rumors that cause a general state of panic," Hassan underlined.
"A section in the Nabatiyeh Governmental Hospital has been equipped to receive any confirmed case to be quarantined, and to take samples to be sent to our center in Beirut to analyze the result within 24 hours," Hassan added, urging people "not to panic, since there is only one confirmed case at Beirut Governmental Hospital while all those who were on board the plane did not show any symptoms till this moment."
"There is no antiviral treatment. The treatment is preventive and does not call for panic. We must be aware of the rumors spread on social media because we are carrying out all the procedures at the borders and at the ports, which allowed us to discover the case early," Hassan went on, commending the epidemiological surveillance unit in this respect.
He finally called on the municipalities to "take all necessary steps and coordinate with the health apparatuses and security forces to confront any emergency in this regard."
TWEET YOUR COMMENT