Health Minister: Hospitals are ready to offer investigative services to identify Corona virus infections

Health Minister, Nizar Yajizi, stressed that the health sector in Syria is prepared to offer testing at hospitals and health centers to identify any cases of Corona virus disease and offer healing measures to the infected cases at the hospitals that are currently being used as lock-down centers.

In a press conference Dr. Yaziji said that the health sector in Syria has 25000 beds to provide treatment for those infected with the  Corona virus,  adding that there are huge difficulties in ensuring ventilators because of the coercive, unilateral sanctions being imposed on Syria.

Regarding  the laboratories that diagnose the disease, the Minister affirmed that the health Ministry has expanded the number of labs which carry out this analysis from samples taken from people suspected of having the virus, noting that the number of analyses is 100 per day. He added that work is underway to increase them to reach between 200 and 300 tests daily free of charge.

Concerning the quarantine and medical isolation centers, Yazigi said that the ministry has designated a number of hospitals to provide treatment for isolated coronavirus patients and specified several hotels as well as the university cities in the Syrian provinces as quarantine centers. In addition, several  NGOs provided some 450 rooms for this purpose, he added.

The Minister called on citizens to commit to the precautionary measures like staying at home, avoiding gatherings and wearing masks.

As regards the treatment protocol adopted in Syria to deal with the corona virus infection, Dr. Yaziji said that three mechanisms have been adopted to treat people infected with this fatal virus, as no vaccination has been adopted yet.

The three treatment mechanisms can be implemented through using medications that are manufactured in Syria such as (Chloroquine), (Azithromycin) and (Interferon) in addition to HIV medicine which is available in Syria, the minister made it clear, pointing out that these medications have been given to the coronavirus infected patients and have led to the recovery of two cases.

K.Q.