Abou Faour: Health Ministry to Take Care of Treatment Cost of Lebanese Expats Carrying Ebola Virus
Health Minister Wael Abou Faour on Saturday urged Lebanese expats who have concerns about getting infected with the deadly Ebola virus or other epidemics to report their fears to the ministry, assuring also that treatment will be provided for them.
"We call on all Lebanese expats in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Liberia who are suspecting that they might have been infected with the Ebola virus or any other epidemic, or those who are seeking treatment, to reach out to the Health Ministry in Beirut through their local embassies,” a statement issued by Abou Faour said.
Afterwards, the appropriate procedures will be adopted to receive them at the Rafik Hariri International Airport and to conduct the needed medical tests and provide the suitable treatment, the statement added.
Abou Faour had sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affair over the same matter to notify Lebanese embassies in concerned African countries about its procedures.
He also assured that the Ministry of Health will take care of the cost of medical tests and of treatment of any expat who might have gotten the virus in these countries, on condition that they have communicated their situation with the ministry.
"The ministry will exert all efforts to prevent the spread of the virus or other epidemics in Lebanon, and it is fully ready to face any emergency,” Abou Faour announced.
The World Health Organization on Friday declared the killer Ebola epidemic ravaging parts of west Africa an international health emergency and appealed for global aid to help afflicted countries.
States of emergency have been declared in the hardest hit countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, while two people have died in Nigeria and Benin is investigating a suspect patient.
Ebola had by Wednesday claimed at least 961 lives and infected nearly 1,800 people since breaking out in Guinea earlier this year, with 29 people dying in just two days, the WHO said.
S.D.B.
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