The Syrian Opposition Coalition’s (SOC) Strategic Consultation Office held an online panel discussion on developing an effective strategy to confront the coronavirus pandemic and prevent its spread in the liberated areas.
The move came as the pandemic continues to spread around the world and the increasing fears of a possible outbreak in the liberated areas in light of the World Health Organization’s belated response to implement the plan that was agreed with SIG’s Ministry of Health.
Participants in the panel discussion included Dean of the Faculty of Human Medicine at the Free University of Aleppo, Jawad Abu Hatab, expert in epidemiology and intensive care, Mazen Khairallah, professor at the University of North Carolina, and Yahya Abdel Rahim, specialist in leukemia in children in the state of Florida. They also included a number of SOC’s members and doctors operating in the liberated areas, experts, activists, and researchers.
Participants discussed the health situation in the liberated areas as well as the precautions and preventive steps being taken by the Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of the virus among the population.
They also reviewed the awareness-raising campaigns being carried out by students at the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy as well as other humanitarian organizations among the residents of the IDP camps. They also discussed the possibility of imposing a lockdown or social distancing in light of the difficult conditions the population are facing and the shortages of housing caused by the Assad regime and Russia’s bombing campaign.
The specialized doctors gave an explanation on the coronavirus, its form, the effects it causes in the human body, and its symptoms. They also talked about the methods of treatment and medicines that have recently been given to the infected people pending the availability of an effective vaccine against the virus.
The participants discussed the situation of the health sector in terms of the number of beds and ventilators.
Speakers warned of the outbreak of the virus in the liberated areas. They stressed the need to continue with the closure of the borders and crossings as they stressed the importance of coordination and cooperation among all actors to overcome the crisis.
Ahmed Ramadan, Coordinator of the Office, said that the participants put forward a set of recommendations that will be submitted to the SOC leadership and the Syrian Interim Government. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
