HE Maj. Gen. Dr. Tawfiq Al-Tirawi, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Al-Istiqlal University and the member of the Central Committee of the Fatah Movement, received Dr. Muhammad Shtayyeh, the Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr. Mai Kila, the Minister of Health, Dr. Saeb Erekat, the Secretary of the Executive Committee of the PLO, and Mr. Jihad Abu Al-Asal, the Governor of Jericho and Al Aghwar Governorate, in the presence of Prof. Dr. Saleh Abu Osba, the President of Al-Istiqlal University, Dr. Rajaa Sweidan, his deputy for Administrative and Financial Affairs, Staff from the Ministry of Health, Emergencies and the Police, on Friday 21th of February 2020.
Dr. Shtayyeh praised the efforts of all the participants especially Al-Istiqlal University which is represented by Maj. Gen. Al-Tirawi, saying: “We appreciate the decision of Maj. Gen Al-Tirawi which comes in the right time”, expressing his pride of this military edifice in Jericho, mentioning the Palestinian government’s readiness to provide all the necessary logistical support to furnish the quarantine building, stressing that the visit today comes to see the building’s field supplies, announcing that the government seeks to establish a military hospital, indicating that the emergency budget was approved to deal with this circumstance.
Furthermore, he greeted the Kingdom of Jordan and the Arab Republic of Egypt for their efforts for the cooperation and coordination, saying: “The city of Jericho is the eastern gate of Palestine, and Rafah is the southern gate, announcing that the same procedures will be followed at Rafah border, reassuring the people that there is not any infection with the Coronavirus in the Palestinian territories.”
For his part, Maj. Gen. Al-Tirawi welcomed the Palestinian Prime Minister and the attendees, sending a reassuring message to the Palestinian community and the families of the students, that there are no cases infected with the Coronavirus in the Palestinian territories, mentioning that these practical steps are only to take precautions and caution in the future, stressing the readiness of the quarantine building for any case, thanking the leaders of the Palestinian security services who are the base of security and safety.
Moreover, Dr. Kila thanked Maj. Gen. Al-Tirawi for providing what is necessary to stand and challenge the Coronavirus, and preventing its spreading, mentioning the urgent need for a place to quarantine the isolated cases, stressing that the State of Palestine is free from any infection with this virus, explaining that the Ministry of Health, its laboratories, and its staff are fully prepared by the initial laboratory tests, noting that the Palestinian medical staffs have been trained on how to deal with these cases, and start organizing awareness campaigns to prevent the infection in the various schools and institutions.
In conjunction, Dr. Erekat said that the preventive medical steps will be arranged according to the standards of the World Health Organization, thanking the Al-Istiqlal University which is represented by its president and administrative staff for their efforts in holding meetings and taking practical steps for finding solutions, expressing the support of the Palestinian security services and the people of Jericho governorate.
At the end of the meeting, the attendees made an inspection tour to the quarantine station and then to the caravans, that were constructed by the Ministry of Health and Jericho Governorate and which will be the first place for checking the people who are coming from the seven countries where the cases of Coronavirus were registered, before transferring them to the quarantine building.
It is noteworthy to mention that specialized medical teams of doctors and nurses will be prepared in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Health, to supervise all medical procedures within two weeks, which is the period required to ensure the patient's safety, besides the security procedures which will be organized in cooperation with Palestinian security services to secure and protect the isolated area, in cooperation with the Governor and the Fatah movement region in Jericho and Al Aghwar Governorate.