Kuwait raises alert due to spread of ‘hepatitis’

KUWAIT CITY, April 27: The Ministry of Health has raised the alert level in all its facilities regarding the need to confront the mysterious hepatitis of unknown source.

It sent a circular to all hospitals, health centers, and preventive health centers in all parts of the country in which it stressed the need to quickly report the presence of any confirmed cases of acute hepatitis of unknown cause in order to preserve health security in the country.

Head of the National Center for the Implementation of International Health Regulations in the Ministry of Health Dr. Sundus Al-Qabandi and the Director of the Central Department of Primary Health Care Dr. Dina Al-Dhubaib sent a circular to the heads of primary care units in all health zones to warn about the outbreak of acute hepatitis of unknown cause in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

They stressed the need to quickly inform the national center of any confirmed cases that may be discovered.

They explained that the national center, on April 17, received a report from the emergency health incidents sector of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization. The report confirmed that ten cases of acute hepatitis of unknown cause were confirmed in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

As of the 8th of April, 74 cases matching the description of the case were monitored, and three other cases were monitored in Spain.

Complaint filed: The cancer patients have filed a complaint against the failure of the radioactive equipment at the Kuwait Cancer Control Center, since last Thursday.

A number of patients confirmed to Al-Jarida that they were surprised when they went to the hospital for treatment that the device was out of order, and when they visited the next day, they found the same problem still exists.

They called on officials at the Kuwait Cancer Control Center and the Ministry of Health to repair these devices saying the lives of patients are affected.