50 ambulances deployed to treat IDPs for Covid-19

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Public Health, concerned about the spread of the Corvid-19 in internally displaced people, on Monday said mobile Covid-19 test teams and dozens of ambulances have been assigned to transport critically ill patients to hospitals.

It is noteworthy that following the fall of the provinces to the Taliban, 250,000 people have moved from their areas to safer areas, including Kabul.

Displaced people in different parts of Kabul, in parks, mosques, on the roads, spend their days and nights without any living facilities.

Osman Taheri, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health, said in an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, that the number of people infected with the corona virus was declining; but due to the escalation of the war in the country, tens of thousands people had moved from their areas to safer areas.

Official statistics from the Ministry of Public Health show that since the onset of corona disease, more than 152,000 people have contracted the disease and 7,025 have died of it.

Taheri said IDPs were in a bad situation and one infected person could spread the disease to many others. He added, the Ministry of Public Health was fully prepared to control the situation.

According to him, currently 50 ambulances have been allocated for the displaced people to transport critically ill patients to hospitals.

He added that no positive cases of Covid-19 have been reported so far, but mobile teams conducted tests on a regular basis.

Taheri, noting that carelessness is once again causing the spread of Covid-19, said that social distance must be observed until the third wave ends.

The Deputy Spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health added that there are still concerns about the disease and citizens, especially the displaced, should take precautions against the spread of Covid-19 to prevent it from spreading again.

Dr. HeshmatullahFaizi, in charge of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Afghan-Japanese Hospital, said he was also very concerned about the Covid-19 spread among IDPs.

He said the risk of an outbreak of Covid-19 among IDPs was high, adding that the risk of starting a fourth wave would be felt as a result of the displacement of citizens.

“We are currently living in Sarikutel Khairkhaneh among hundreds of families displaced from the north,” said Razia, a woman who immigrated to Kabul with her family of five from Kunduz a month ago.

She added they were in a bad situation as they did not observe hygiene and social distance.

She said: “I am very afraid that the disease will affect everyone.”

Munir Ahmad, one of the IDPs from MiadanWardak also said he was also worried about the spread of the Covid-19 virus among IDPs.

He added one of his neighbors had a lot of coughing and sore throat and they were worried he was infected with Covid-19. “But he is in good health today”.

bk/ma