GCC gear for coronavirus – Measures set

This news has been read 15365 times!

RIYADH, Feb 20, (KUNA): Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Health Ministers announced on Wednesday taking all precautionary measures at the GCC border crossings to prevent coronavirus.

In this Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, photo, medical personnel provide treatment to a a new coronavirus patient at a hospital in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province. Chinese authorities on Monday reported a slight upturn in new virus cases and hundred more deaths for a total of thousands since the outbreak began two months ago. (Chinatopix via AP)

This came during an emergency meeting held by GCC Health Ministers at the Secretariat General, under chairmanship of UAE Health Minister Abdulrahman Al-Owais. Kuwait’s Health Minister Dr Sheikh Bassel Al-Sabah was present at the meeting.

The ministers said that the measures come in implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) approved by the World Health Organization and the unified health procedures guide (UHPG) at the GCC member states’ border crossings, which was endorsed by the Supreme Council of the GCC at the 39th Summit in Riyadh in December 2018. The ministers tasked the specialized committees operating in this field with following up the developments in this matter and sharing information amongst GCC members.

They lauded the efforts made by China in following up and combating the virus, expressing their full solidarity with, and support to, China in this file. During the meeting, the conferees discussed the current happenings regarding the coronavirus so as to coordinate and unify GCC member states’ efforts in this dossier and take required and preventive measures to control the virus. Al-Owais thanked the GCC ministers for their interaction and rapid response to attend the meeting on the coronavirus, upon an invitation by the Secretariat General.

He affirmed that the common goal is to continue coordinating positions and promoting cooperation to combat epidemics, mainly the new coronavirus, through concerted efforts, expertise sharing, the readiness of the GCC states and coordination with the WHO in line with international health regulations. Meanwhile, GCC Secretary- General Nayef Al-Hajraf said the invitation for the meeting came in implementation of the GCC Health Ministers’ decision on the unification of efforts, integration and cohesion in the health field and response to emergency cases, as well as the protection of citizens and expats in the GCC states.

Despite the strenuous efforts by GCC Health Ministries, the situation needed an emergency meeting to discuss the common aspects which require coordination and unification of efforts and stances to face the virus. He emphasized that the efforts and keenness of all GCC governments in the field of health have made them one of the leading countries in terms of providing comprehensive healthcare on the regional and international levels. The GCC states have shown their cooperation and commitment to the general principles of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, he noted. He pointed out that it is necessary to urgently implement the UHPG, at this stage, and issue the regulatory legal tools.

The coronavirus case has demonstrated the need to activate the unified health procedures and joint cooperation between the GCC countries in this regard, he stated. The GCC chief stressed the need of intensifying efforts for health coordination and cooperation in GCC states, mainly in the emergency cases. He pointed out that the GCC Ministers of Health’s committee of communicable diseases held an emergency meeting on Jan 29 to face the virus. The committee has issued some recommendations regarding the agreement on carrying out precautionary measures protocols to check up the arrivals, the treatment protocol, unify media messages and others, he said. He finally thanked the sincere efforts made by Health Ministers to upgrade services in GCC states.

This news has been read 15365 times!

Related Articles

Back to top button

Advt Blocker Detected

Kindly disable the Ad blocker

Verified by MonsterInsights