based Al-Jazeera commenting on a local topic hailed the manner in which health minister Dr Abdullah al-Rabeeah tackled the problem of swine influenza, and said this has provided clear evidence that he is a responsible man and that he deserves the portfolio of the health minister. Under the directives of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the paper disclosed that the health ministry's concerned authorities mobilized their potentialities to confront this dangerous epidemic disease which appeared in Mexico and then spread to the US and some European countries and Israel. Dr al-Rabee'a assured the citizens and residents that the health ministry has taken the required measures for confronting the epidemic disease, the daily pointed out. Moreover, the national committee for epidemic diseases held a meeting and the health ministry has taken practical measures to close doors before the spread of the disease into the country, said the paper. "These practical measures undertaken by the health ministry included providing the health utilities with elaborated information about the disease and its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment," it added. The health ministry has made it clear that all required medicines for the treatment of the disease are available in various regions of the Kingdom, it said. In addition to the aforesaid measures the health ministry has called for convening a gulf medical conference with the participation of experts from the World Health Organization next Saturday to review means of fighting the disease, the daily noted. "All should cooperate for confronting this dangerous disease which does not respect the political borders and which does not wait for entry visa," the daily concluded.
