Riyadh, August 28: The Ministry of Health will review medical regulations in view of Dengue fever and swine flu, said Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeah in a meeting with newspaper editors-in-chief in Riyadh Wednesday.
“We are working on a primary health project and on organizing committees for comprehensive health care, as well as bringing in experts to give greater independence to health zones and link them to main hospitals,” the minister said.
He said the number of complaints to the ministry had seen a sharp fall in this respect, and he expected a further drop over the next two months with “plans to increase training funding and scholarships to produce qualified Saudi staff.”
Al-Rabeah added that a team had been set up to inspect both public and private hospitals to check the standards of operation ahead of the implementation of three international standards at all hospitals by the end of the current month, but did not detail the nature of the standards.
The minister said the Medical Licensing Administration was looking into allegations made against the private sector over price-fixing of swine flu virus tests for Saudi nationals.
The State is to bear the swine flu treatment cost for Saudis, expatriates and Umrah pilgrims as per the instructions issued by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Al-Rabeah said the Umrah season was progressing smoothly with no signs of increase in the number of swine flu cases so far.
“The good news is that around 95 percent of swine flu cases reported in the Kingdom has recovered. There are only 65 swine flu patients in hospitals throughout the Kingdom,” he said.
Al-Rabeah urged the media to play a responsible and reassuring role by creating awareness in a way that elevates the people’s understanding of the disease so that they tackle it without panic.
Reminding the meeting of the numerous campaigns being carried out by the ministry at public locations and through mosques, the minister again ruled out any postponement of the beginning of the school year.
“The plan for schools will begin a week before they reopen with awareness campaigns in which the ministry hopes the media will play an important part,” Dr. Al-Rabeah said.
The previously announced move to give seven days’ sick leave to persons testing positive for swine flu, the minister said, was in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations, and he reiterated that the Kingdom was one of the least affected countries by the swine flu virus.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health announced Thursday the deaths of two Saudis from swine flu, taking the tall to 19. – SG/With inputs from Nawaf Afit-OkazSwine flu update
Hospitalized patients – 65
Total positive cases – over 100
Deaths so far from the disease – 19
Patients with full recovery – 95%
–Agencies–