prijava
SARAJEVO, February 25 (FENA) - General Manager of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo (KCUS) Prof. Dr. Sebija Izetbegović stressed at a press conference today that there is no room for panic when it comes to the risks of coronavirus, and that KCUS is fully prepared to respond to the eventual first cases of infection, and that the crisis staff formed 15 days ago continuously monitors the overall situation.
She said the situation is not dramatic, and rejected speculation that there were "three tourists, Chinese nationals, very likely to be positive to coronavirus", confirming that they have been admitted to the Podhrastovi Clinic and had milder symptoms, as well as coming from a region that has not been affected by the virus.
“Panic is spreading. Rumors that KCUS is not prepared. It is true that three patients were brought in, who are Chinese tourists, but it is not true that they are patients in critical condition needing respirators, that is, patients with extremely high body temperature, and who came to BiH with certain flu-like symptoms,” said Izetbegović, adding that they were subjected to testing and that it is likely that by tonight the results will be known.
Commenting on the situation with a group of elementary school children who were on an excursion to Milan, Italy, she said that she did not have information on their movements, but that she knew that they have returned to Sarajevo and that they were allegedly having cold symptoms.
She added that it was very strange that children were sent out in this situation at all, recalling that KCUS had suspended all official trips and vacations in order to respond more effectively to the current state of readiness.
Izetbegović also referred to the rumors about the absence of isolation units at KCUS, emphasizing that it was not the obligation of KCUS, but of the Ministries of Health of the SC and the Institute of Public Health.
In this context, she called on the competent institutions to be more actively involved in the segment of informing the citizens, as well as in the procurement of necessary means - protective equipment for employees and appropriate medical devices (respirators, etc.).
She also called for all health care institutions to be involved in addressing specific issues, recalling that KCUS has prepared rooms at Podhrastovi Clinic with 20 beds, which are adequate for the treatment of coronavirus, and that special teams have been formed from different medical units.
She stated that there would be no 'mixing' of patients and that 'suspicious cases' would be completely isolated, noting that 1,600 hospitalized patients in the secondary and tertiary care have to be taken care of as well.
The Crisis Staff member and Head of KCUS Infectious Diseases Clinic, Dr. Rusmir Baljić said it was almost certain that the coronavirus would come to BiH, but that there was no reason to panic because KCUS is well enough organized to respond to any specific situation.
With regard to the three Chinese nationals, he stated that the findings and the epidemiological testing had been taken and that, at present, they did not appear to be infected and that there was no need for panic.
At the same time, he explained that the medical staff involved in the examination of these patients was not compromised, that they had the necessary protective equipment, and that they followed the procedures.
He specified that currently there is no right treatment for coronavirus and that it is all still in the experimental phase in terms of the drugs that possibly do work and that they had already contacted their pharmacy to obtain them.
“It is no longer a question of whether or not the coronavirus will come to BiH, because it will, but what is most important for the citizens is the fact that we have all the necessary capacities to respond to the potential epidemic,” said Baljić, saying it was crucial to prevent the onset of the infection in BiH.
(FENA) S. R.
