Four additional intensive care beds will be granted to the COVID-19 wards of the Gafsa hospitals within the next two months, the Health Ministry decided during a working session dedicated to the governorate, held on Saturday at the department’s seat, and chaired by Health Minister Faouzi Mehdi.

Besides, two medical oxygen cylinders will be set up at the Metlaoui and Redaief hospitals and the oxygen network will be extended at the Moularès hospital.

It was also decided to set up a new COVID-19 ward at the Gafsa local hospital, including 8 intensive care beds and 13 oxygen-fitted ones, as part of a project funded by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Gafsa Local Health Director Salem Nasri stated to TAP on Sunday.

Governor of Gafsa Sami Ghabi who took part in this meeting said that emphasis had been laid on ways to reinforce the readiness of hospitals in regions classified as high alert areas, as the death rate in Gafsa stands at 6.5% against a national average of 3.5%.

In recent statements to TAP, local health officials had described the situation as “dangerous.” Current figures show 124 deaths for every 100,000 inhabitants.

The Health Ministry took other measures for the Gafsa governorate’s benefit, as notably the extension and fitting-out of the emergency ward at the local hospital, provision of new ambulances, renovation of the electricity network at the Redaief hospital, setting-up of a water tank at the Mdhilla hospital and acquisition of new equipment such as a scanner, an ultrasound device and dental chairs.

Source: TAP News Agency