Fight against swine flu

The Ministry of Health announced on Sunday that it would set up an electronic network to connect all its 20 health regions in the Kingdom to monitor the movement of swine flu, according to Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah.“We are making use of advance communications technology to counter the rapid spread of the swine flu, which has already killed four people in the Kingdom,” Al-Rabeeah told the health directors of the 20 regions in the Kingdom on Sunday. He also called upon participants of Sunday’s meeting to intensify their preventive measures in their respective regions.
Initially, 500 mobile surveillance machines will be distributed to health officials and prominent community leaders in all parts of the Kingdom. The minister explained that there would be a Central Command Office (CCO) that would monitor the movement of the influenza through this network. The users of the machine will communicate with the CCO in the event of any incidence of the disease in any part of the country. The ministry will gear its emergency activities according to the report from the CCO, the minister said.
“We must provide the best of preventive and curative services to citizens as well as expatriates who come for treatment in government and private hospitals,” he told the directors, insisting that patients’ safety is the top priority of his ministry. He also said the four main laboratories (Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh and Dammam) are open for emergency services throughout the day and night.
He said the regional strategies adopted by the regional directors should be in accordance with the guidelines set out by the National Committee To Combat Swine Flu, which is in line with the standards of the World Health Organization.
While concentrating on the control and treatment of the infection, the minister said that the directors should organize effective public awareness programs to enable the members of the public to know the nature and the hazards of the virus. He said the ministry would communicate from time to time on swine flu developments in the Kingdom in accordance with the regular report submitted by the National Scientific Committee that coordinates with the WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control.
On Sunday, while seeking the cooperation of the newsmen to the ministry’s counter move against the spread of the virus, Al-Rabeeah said it would be transparent in all its activities regarding the control, spread and treatment of swine flu in the Kingdom.
Since May 27, there have been 595 cases of swine flu and the ministry reported 95 percent recovery among them.
Ziad Al-Memish, assistant deputy minister of health for preventive medicine, told Arab News that the ministry would start training the people who are using the mobile surveillance machines from Saturday.
“We have handpicked health officials from all 20 regions for necessary training,” he said, pointing out that those who are trained under the program are expected to teach the other users in the respective regions. “Initially, it’s going to be a train-the-trainer program.”
The official said that a major number of the machines would be distributed to Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah regions in view of the forthcoming Umrah season.
“We are making every effort to make the Umrah a flu-free season,” Memish said.