Healthcare | Sunday 23 August, 2015 1:01 am |

Infection control experts have warned of the spread of MERS coronavirus in hospitals across the Kingdom, as the concentration of vulnerable patients, the frequent movement of patients, and the many daily contacts make health-care facilities the perfect breeding ground for MERS-CoV transmission.

They demanded the centralization of the treatment of coronavirus under the umbrella of the Ministry of Health to achieve full control and in order to stop the proliferation of the disease, confirming that all hospitals should be under the surveillance of the Command and Control Center.
Moreover, experts said that the current spread of MERS-coronavirus in Riyadh is comparatively limited, and that all the cases registered in Riyadh recently are from a single source. "Focus on the health-care setting may prevent continued human-to-human transmission among at-risk patients, especially during Umrah and Haj seasons." experts said.
They confirmed that there are two health partners. The first one comprises the National Guard's Health Affairs, Armed Forces Medical Services, university hospitals and medical services in the Interior Ministry.
The second partner represented in the community involves the agriculture department and municipalities, experts said, confirming the importance of coordination among all concerned partners to limit the spread of infection in health facilities, and to encourage all involved persons to work under a unified system when receiving cases.
Coronavirus appeared in the Kingdom four years ago. Since then, six health ministers have been appointed. Statistics have indicated that there have been 1,115 confirmed cases since 2012, with 480 of those patients having died, while 590 responded well to treatment. Forty-five cases are still receiving treatment.
The Ministry of Health said that preparations are ongoing around the clock, calling all parties, especially health workers, to unite their efforts to combat the infection.
Referring to the most important health requirements, the ministry recommended following the necessary precautions when dealing with camels, in coordination with government agencies in the agriculture, municipal and rural affairs sectors.