MoH launches awareness campaign on ‘seasonal flu’ – New mechanism cuts prices of medicines by 20 to 70 pc

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KUWAIT CITY, Nov 30, (Agencies): The Health Ministry’s Undersecretary Dr Khaled Al-Sahlawi announced Sunday the launch of an awareness campaign in all schools in the country, public and private, on seasonal flu prevention and knowledge of its dangers.

The campaign targets male and female students of all educational grades in the country’s schools with participation of medical teams of specialists in health awareness who will provide preventive tips and guidelines to students, teachers, and staff workers, Al-Sahlawi stated to KUNA. He also said that three awareness films on the virus, produced by the ministry, will be distributed to all schools in DVD and CD discs, in addition to printed pamphlets, stickers, and bulletins.

Being aware of the virus nature, causes, symptoms, and ways to prevent it has become the main base of blocking the flu spread and infection, the senior official said, adding that this new campaign will contribute to clarifying facts and fictions regarding the virus to the public. The Health Ministry also tends to intensify its anti-flu campaign through several health activities and measures such as conducting training courses for schools’ staff in order to increase their knowledge with necessary information and updates about the virus and its symptoms.

Pricing
Meanwhile, Director of Medicine Inspection Department at the Health Ministry Dr Jaber Al-Khaldi said the new pricing mechanism for medicines took effect in October; thereby, reducing the prices of medicines by 20 to 70 percent while there is a slight increase in the prices of a few cosmetic medicines. In a press statement, Al- Khaldi revealed the department has intensified efforts to control the prices of medicines through the formation of nine inspection committees — three of these committees work in the morning, three in the evening and three at dawn.

He affirmed these committees cover all areas of the country to guarantee strict adherence to the new pricing mechanism. He added the new pricing mechanism is in line with the GCC convention on unifying the prices of 2,700 kinds of medicines. He said the price of Co- Diovan — a medication for high blood pressure — went down from KD 19 to KD 6; while the price of Cataflam — a painkiller declined from KD 5 to KD 2 and the price of Viagra decreased from KD 105 to KD 60.

In the meantime, Head of Abdullah Al-Mubarak Health Center at Farwaniya Health Zone Dr Walla Al-Kandari declared that the center’s laboratory will work during evening shifts on weekdays and morning shifts on Saturdays, reports Al-Anba daily This statement was made on the sidelines of the Open Health Day titled ‘My safety is in your hands’ organized by the center to mark the World Children’s Day in the presence of a large number of officials from the health zone. Al-Kandari explained that the open day included activities aimed to spread awareness about keeping babies safe preand post-delivery as well as ways to protect babies from diseases.

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