Hussain Hazzazi and Adel Babkair Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — The emergency ward at King Fahd Hospital has been closed down and will only accept cases related to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and serious cases that require immediate attention. It follows 16 MERS-CoV cases who were quarantined in the ward. Sources said the emergency ward will only accept cases that need the intervention of specialized doctors and doctors are assessing cases before deciding whether to admit them. The emergency ward is unusually quiet and all medical staff are wearing medical face masks. A doctor noted that patients admitted to the emergency ward are given a preliminary examination, provided with necessary treatment and immediately discharged if they do not suffer from a serious illness. The number of MERS-CoV cases has since 2013 reached 171, of whom 66 patients have died despite the efforts of the Ministry of Health to combat the disease. A number of workers in the medical sector have expressed fears of working in the emergency ward and noted that the hospital has received three MERS-CoV cases from health centers. The head of Jeddah Health Affairs Dr. Sami Badawood said that there is no shortage of quarantine rooms and all fears are unjustified. He said that Bandar Al-Katheri, a nurse who died from MERS-CoV at King Abdulaziz Hospital, was under the supervision of a medical team from King Faisal Specialty Hospital (KFSH). He said: “Bandar was a dear fellow employee who was serving his country through his work at King Abdulaziz Hospital. “On my behalf, and on behalf of all Health Affairs employees, I offer our condolences to his family, and ask God to reward him for his work and bestow forgiveness upon him.” The Ministry of Health has said it has intensified its efforts to combat the virus in Jeddah and examined 356 cases, of which three tested positive but are in a stable condition. Sources at KFH claimed that a number of employees, including an administrative employee, technicians, nurses, and a private guard, were infected with various diseases recently. Meanwhile, a Ministry of Health statement has pointed out that four new MERS-CoV cases have been discovered in Jeddah. They consist of a 28-year-old employee in the health sector who is receiving treatment in intensive care, a 35-year-old man, a 32-year-old woman and a 33-year-old expatriate who did not show any symptoms.
