​Minister Abiad: “The Ministry of Health is making great efforts to reduce “cholera”. We are working to secure electricity for water pumping and refining stations in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and international organizations”.

The President discussed affairs and needs of Beirut, with Governor Abboud.

Public Health Minister, Dr. Firas Al-Abiad, asserted after meeting President Michel Aoun, that the efforts made by his Ministry in cooperation with international partners and international organizations to confront the spread of the cholera epidemic in Lebanon are very great, and that the health sector is being prepared in case an increase in the number of infections takes place, confirming work to secure a large amount of vaccines against this epidemic to limit its spread, as well as to secure electric power for water pumping and refining stations.

Minister Abiad, briefed President Aoun on the measures taken by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with other ministries and international organizations to confront the cholera epidemic, and pointed out that the main reason for the spread of cholera in Lebanon is the contamination of some water sources as a result of the suspension of pumping and refining stations due to power outages.

Statement:

After the meeting, the Health Minister said:

“I was honored to meet His Excellency the President to brief him on the health situation in Lebanon, especially in light of the spread of the cholera epidemic.

His Excellency was also briefed on the measures taken to limit the spread of this epidemic, especially with regard to securing clean water for all, whether for the Lebanese or for the displaced, as well as with regard to the issue of sewage and wastewater treatment. The efforts made by the Ministry of Health in this regard are great in cooperation with partners, especially internationals and international organizations that bear great responsibilities, especially towards the displaced, to secure a sound environment for them to prevent the spread of diseases.

We also briefed President Aoun on the situation of hospitals preparedness to receive cholera patients, and their number has become eight, which are mainly government hospitals, and the readiness to deploy some field hospitals.  

In some areas, such as Arsal, etc., the issue of securing the cholera vaccine was also discussed, and Lebanon received a promise to secure an initial dose of this vaccine within a period of one week to ten days, in addition to that we are working to secure a large amount through the World Health Organization, which is about 600,000 doses to be used by the displaced or the Lebanese.

The meeting was an occasion to present a special gesture, and based on a previous proposal, to the workers in the response to the Corona epidemic, to be announced soon. I thanked His Excellency first for the continuous support he provided us during the journey to confront the Corona epidemic virtually with all workers in this field and giving them support and morale, and there is no doubt that this step will be positively reflected on all workers in the health sector and others in the face of the spread of cholera”.

Questions & Answers:

Question: How will the issue of stopping water treatment plants be dealt with?

Answer: “The main issue is how to secure electricity for these stations. UNICEF has secured about 100,000 liters of diesel, which we are currently using in water refining and pumping stations, and in waste water stations. In addition, I contacted Minister Walid Fayyad, to discuss how to secure electricity for these stations by the Ministry of Energy.

We were informed that the shipment of Iraqi fuel will soon arrive in Lebanon, which will enable the Electricité du Liban to secure the electric current, and priority will be given to these stations”.

Question: What is the main reason for the emergence of some cholera cases in some Lebanese regions, such as Kesrouan?

Answer: “Undoubtedly, the main reason behind this is water, because we all know that we have a problem with pumping water in some areas, and sometimes the water is not well refined, and therefore the focus is on using water pumping stations that sterilize water by chlorine, it also focuses on disinfecting homes.  

There is another very important issue related to crops, vegetables and fruits, as some use sewage water to irrigate crops, and if this water is polluted, these crops become contaminated, especially leafy ones, such as lettuce, parsley and mint, which are difficult to clean and sterilize. We are working to address this issue in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture”.

Question: Is it possible to consider the water in Lebanon to be polluted and unfit, and has it been examined to find out the sources of polluted water?

Answer: “We test the water by the Lebanon Water Corporation or in cooperation with other partners. We know that there is a lot of groundwater in Lebanon that is polluted. Therefore, we are always keen to treat this water well, and here water pumping stations play a major role by increasing the amount of chlorine and making sure that it is clean.  For our part, we have secured the chlorine, but the most important thing is for the electricity to reach these stations to reach the citizens clean.  

Unfortunately, when the water does not reach the citizens through these stations, most of them resort to unsafe sources, through water tanks and some unstudied springs. We are working with the Red Cross, especially in areas where cholera has spread, to ensure that chlorine is added to these tanks, and then tests and checks are conducted for them.  We have also launched this program some time ago and, God willing, it will be expanded during the next week”.

Judge Abboud:

The President met the Governor of Beirut, Judge Marwan Abboud, and discussed with him Beirut affairs and needs.

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