The Dean of Mushtaha, Director General of Laboratories at the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, said today, Saturday, that there is a great shortage of laboratory materials and equipment, and that the ministry is working to besiege the epidemic and uncover epidemiological maps and new cases in order to protect society from the outbreak of the virus Corona.
In a radio interview, Mushtaha stated that the ministry relies on the awareness of citizens by adhering to preventive and precautionary measures, calling on them to adhere to preventive means to reduce the risks of the epidemic in light of the collapse of large countries in the face of the Corona virus.
He pointed out that the elderly and children are more likely to contract Corona, and in case of negligence and failure to adhere to preventive measures, this will lead to a health disaster in Gaza.
"We have increased the number of daily swabs and examinations, and in the event that examination materials are available, the survey capacity will be raised to 3,000 per day," Mushtaha said, warning against gatherings especially for social occasions such as weddings and mourning homes because they form large foci for spreading the virus.
He called on international bodies to support Gaza and provide examination materials and laboratory equipment due to the increase in the number of injuries, noting that work is being done daily to raise the needs of the laboratories of the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health in Ramallah, and in constant communication and coordination to provide daily laboratory swabs.
He stressed that avoiding crowding, social distancing and wearing a muzzle will spare the Gaza Strip the spread of the epidemic, calling on citizens to help the ministry in facing the epidemic by adhering to the preventive guidelines.
For his part, Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesman for the ministry, said that the closure of the sector is still far from the expectations of the ministry and the government, because the sector does not tolerate a comprehensive closure.
He added, "If the number of injuries in the Strip increases and citizens do not adhere to preventive measures, we may head to a comprehensive closure," noting that the ministry was able to divide the Gaza Strip into 55 geographical areas to investigate the epidemic and close the affected area without affecting the rest of the regions and citizens.
Al-Qudra indicated that the Ministry, in cooperation with government institutions, has taken a decision to allow returnees who accompany an epidemic examination certificate to return to their homes directly, indicating that examinations will be conducted for those who do not carry an epidemic examination certificate and return to their home until the results are issued.
The health spokesman in Gaza pointed out that those coming from the Rafah crossing were required to obtain this statement from the return area forty-eight hours before reaching the Gaza Strip.
"All returnees through the Beit Hanoun checkpoint possess this statement, and therefore they will return directly to their homes," he said.
