Day: February 16, 2023

93 new coronavirus infections and two deaths have been recorded in Lebanon in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Public Health announced on Thursday.

Source: National News Agency

Damascus-SANA -Prime Minister, Hussein Arnous, asserted to Pir-Hossein Kolivand the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), and the accompanying delegation that Syria, thanks to the solidarity of its people and the support of brothers and friends, will overcome the repercussions of the devastating earthquake, despite the difficult circumstances it is going through, foremost of which are the unilateral coercive measures imposed on it , which coincided with a terrorist war that has targeted the country for twelve years.

Meeting with Kolivand on Thursday, Premier Arnous explained that there are several challenges facing the Syrian government to deal with the great damage caused by the earthquake in many sectors, which requires great efforts and work at full speed to face the repercussions of the disaster, including the rehabilitation of the affected areas and securing housing for those who lost their homes, where the construction of prefabricated rooms has begun.

The Prime Minister expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Iranian leadership, government and people for their solidarity with the Syrian people and for sending aid and relief materials to those affected by the earthquake.

Kolivand affirmed that his country stands by Syria in this great calamity and continues to provide all kinds of relief and medical assistance to alleviate the suffering of those affected and injured, pointing to its readiness to provide support and expertise in the field of physical medicine and the manufacture of smart prostheses, in addition to training human cadres to deal with natural disasters.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Geneva, Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, expressed her solidarity with those affected by the earthquake that occurred in Syria, pointing out that the survivors are in urgent need of coordinated aid, medical and psychosocial support.

The prolonged hostilities, food crisis, damaged infrastructure, poverty, the coronavirus pandemic, along with the outbreak of cholera in some parts of Syria have led to fragile health and social systems, Mofokeng said in a statement.

Mofokeng noted that, according to UN estimates, 6.1 million people were affected by the earthquake, and the health system was severely affected, with many medical infrastructures damaged or disrupted.

Essential health and medical supplies have been destroyed, leaving healthcare providers overwhelmed and unable to manage life-threatening conditions, particularly providing emergency obstetric and newborn care,” Mofokeng added.

In the coming days and weeks, it is necessary to restore the continuity of health care services without discrimination, especially for women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities and persons with non-communicable diseases, including mental health in addition to the psychological and social support, Mofokeng stated.

She added that it is important to facilitate the entry and distribution of medicines, equipment, surgical supplies, prosthetics, assistive devices and basic first aid kits, as well as medical supplies for reproductive health.

The UN Health Rapporteur urged all sides to provide full access through opening more border crossing points.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Riyadh– As part of the humanitarian and relief efforts provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the relief airlift dispatched by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) to help people affected by the recent earthquake in some countries, Seha Virtual Hospital of the Ministry of Health supports the medical efforts of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA).

Seha Virtual Hospital provides its services remotely to the afflicted people in partnership with Saudi Telecom (STC), to enable the hospital to provide its services with efficiency and quality.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Based upon the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Yemeni conjoined twins “Salman and Abdullah”, sons of Youssef Eid Al-Molahi, were successfully separated on Thursday, 16 February 2023, in a 6-phase, 8-hour procedure at the King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital at the Ministry of National Guard – Health Affairs.

The twins were conjoined at the abdomen and pelvis and shared intestinal, urinary and reproductive systems. They had an anal sphincter defect, atrophy of the lower abdominal wall, and deformity and conjoining between the bladder and colon. The surgical team comprised 35 specialists in anesthesia, pediatric surgery, urology, plastic surgery and orthopedics, in addition to nursing and technical staff.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and Head of the Surgical and Multidisciplinary Teams of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that Salman and Abdullah, who are from Yemen’s Al Jawf governorate, were around four months old and had a combined weight of 8.6 pounds at the time of the surgery. He added that their condition at birth was critical, in part because they had a connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery, which necessitated an emergency procedure to correct. Another emergency procedure was performed to create a colonic drainage hole from the abdominal wall.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah expressed his thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s leadership for their ongoing generosity and compassion in helping to provide these special children with the best possible chance to live full, healthy lives. He extended his sincere thanks to all of the other members of the medical and surgical teams for their exceptional efforts and ongoing commitment to the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program. These medical achievements, Dr. Al-Rabeeah added, reflected the Kingdom’s overall dedication to helping people in need around the world, particularly children. The work of the program is also in line with one of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to enhance the quality and efficiency of the country’s medical sector.

The parents of the boys expressed their heartfelt thanks to the Kingdom’s leadership and to the medical team for helping their sons, and also conveyed their gratitude for the warm hospitality they have been shown by everyone involved in the twins’ care.

This is the eighth pair of conjoined twins from Yemen separated by the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program; the babies have traveled to the Kingdom from a number of Yemeni governorates, including Sanaa, Sa’dah, Aden, Al Jawf and Taiz. Over the past 32 years, this unique program has reviewed 127 cases from 23 countries. Today’s separation marked the 55th conducted by the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which is considered to be one of the leading of its kind in the world. The Kingdom covers all costs for medical care, transportation, accommodation, and other expenses for the twins and their accompanying family members.

Source: Saudi Press Agency