Health concerns escalated with the news regarding an increase in the number of people with jaundice in Tripoli as a result of drinking water pollution, and the possibility of infection spreading, as the epidemiological surveillance services were activated in order to combat this epidemic.
In this context, the head of the Parliamentary Health Committee, MP Bilal Abdullah, explained to “Lebanon Debate” that he had contacted all stakeholders in the Ministry of Health, the Epidemiological Medicine Department and the North Lebanon Water Authority, and they confirmed that the water is not polluted and suitable for drinking.
But how did the epidemic spread? MP Abdullah expects that drinking water may have mixed with sewage for a short period, causing the epidemic, but he is reassured that the water is now safe to drink, but he asked citizens to sterilize it by exposing it to the sun for two hours or more or boiling it.
However, he points out that the number of injuries did not exceed 150, contrary to what was spread that it exceeded this number, especially since there are no more than two injuries in the hospital. He also confirms that the incubation period of the disease is for a month, so the infected people may have drank contaminated water a month ago, but now tests have shown that the water is safe to drink.
He confirms that the matter is under control and that the ministry and the competent authorities have fully carried out their duties.
And the fear of a repetition of the matter in other regions? Abdullah answers frankly: “The matter may be repeated because the networks have become mostly worn out, so we rely on the citizen’s awareness of the need for sterilization so that he is not exposed to health damage in these circumstances.”
On the other hand, with regard to the medicine crisis, especially the medicines for cancer and chronic diseases, Representative Abdullah points out that he was not far from the file, and the crisis is not a health crisis but rather a financial crisis between the Central Bank and importing companies and even suppliers who refuse to supply medicine for fear of non-payment, A temporary solution is revealed for 6 or 7 months, which will provide the medicine under a loan for this period.
On the issue of drug smuggling, which was active even before the crisis, Abdullah notes, that the current conditions prevent smuggling, but the matter is related to the extent to which the smuggled drug conforms to the specifications, knowing that it is natural that the rate of smuggling will increase, with the loss of the drug from the market, and for the Health Committee, it is related to the quality of medicine and its compliance with specifications.
