Maria Trad – Mtv
Those who were supposed to be the first line of defense against the virus turned into a carrier of it. A strange incident raised concern, after a doctor transported “Ebola” from the Congo to France. As a result, several countries rushed to tighten their precautionary measures. What about Lebanon? Have strict measures been taken to prevent the incident from recurring?
The head of the Epidemiological Surveillance Department at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Atkeh Berri, confirms that the Ministry “has taken a series of precautionary measures to enhance surveillance and preparedness at Rafic Hariri International Airport and all crossing points, based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization, to reduce the risks of transmission of the Ebola virus to Lebanon.”
Berri explained, in an exclusive interview with the MTV website, that “these measures include preventing the entry of non-Lebanese coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda during the outbreak period, and subjecting Lebanese coming from the affected countries to additional health measures, within the framework of raising the level of preparedness and tightening control at the borders,” noting that “the Ministry has adopted a clear protocol to deal with any suspected case, which stipulates the advance notification of any passenger who appears to be infected with it.” Symptoms of illness on board aircraft or means of transport, and upon his arrival he is transferred to the quarantine department at the airport to evaluate his health condition, in coordination with the Lebanese Red Cross to transfer him, when needed, to the competent health institutions in accordance with the approved national protocols,” stressing that “no case of Ebola has been recorded in Lebanon so far.”
Regarding the mechanism for monitoring arrivals from countries where infections have been recorded, she explains that “the Ministry obliges travelers to fill out an electronic form before their arrival in Lebanon, and all concerned cases are referred to the quarantine department to conduct a health assessment upon arrival, while airline companies are obligated to inform the health authorities in advance of the names of these passengers,” noting that “these procedures are constantly updated in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the development of the epidemiological situation,” stressing that “the system The Lebanese Health Ministry has a clear mechanism to deal with any suspected case.”
At the end of her speech, she sent a message to citizens, calling on travelers to adhere to health guidelines, fill out the traveler’s form before arriving in Lebanon, monitor any symptoms that may appear within 21 days after returning from the affected countries, and immediately call the hotline 1787 in the event of any symptoms, avoid contact with others, and inform the health institution of your travel history before heading there.
Hence, adherence to health guidelines and early reporting of any symptoms, along with people’s vigilance, remain the most important weapon to prevent the virus from reaching Lebanon. A country suffering from successive crises does not lack a new epidemic…
