Syria ready to launch second phase of vaccination against polio

Damascus, SANA, Health Minister Saad al-Nayef affirmed Wednesday Syria is ready to launch the second phase of vaccination campaigns against polio, including 4 stages, the first of which starts on June 15th to have the country free from polio again.

The Minister, meeting Health directors in the Syrian cities in the presence of World Health Organization (WHO) experts, pointed out to the importance of boosting efforts to complete the success of the previous campaigns against polio and enhance the child’s immunity, particularly after discovering 3 cases in Iraq.

Elizabeth Huff, WHO representative in Damascus appreciated Syria efforts and the health cadres’ performance in the response plan to overcome polio in spite of the difficult circumstances in the country.

For his part, Salah al-Haithami, a WHO expert, reviewed the situation of polio in the world and the efforts extorted to overcome it as well as the recommendation of WHO in this domain.

The first stage of the second campaign starts on June 15th until June 19th. The Ministry of Health vaccinated 2.840.000 children against polio in the first campaign.

SYP 1 billion allocated for repairing health establishments and ambulances

Earlier, al-Nayef said that the government allocated SYP 1 billion to repair and rehabilitate hospitals, health centers, and ambulances damaged by terrorist attacks.

Meeting heads of health directorates in provinces, Minister al-Nayef asserted that the Ministry is working hard to provide the health sector’s needs and ensure that citizens receive proper health services.

He noted that contracts were signed with Iran to import medicine, equipment, and ambulances, with the first shipment of supplies and 50 ambulances due to arrive within the next few weeks, with 100 more ambulances to follow.

Al-Nayef also said that contracts were signed to provide dialysis machines and CT scan equipment fir Aleppo and Homs, in addition to other equipment valued at SYP 1.5 billion, while agreements made recently in Geneva will result in importing 30 mobile clinics and 10 mobile hospitals.

He pointed out that the Ministry’s strategy calls for providing specialized clinics in provinces to provide special services and reduce the need for citizens to travel to receive the treatment they need.

For their part, the heads of directorates discussed the state of health establishments in their provinces and the efforts they exert to provide health services to citizens, detailing the difficulties caused by the crisis in Syria such as hospital being put out of commission due to terrorist attacks.

H.Sabbagh/Mazen Eyon