Covid-19 spread is currently low in Tunisia (Riadh Daghfous)Hospital Procures Laparoscopy Digital Machine

The spread of Covid-19 is currently low in Tunisia and throughout the world, despite the drop in the uptake of preventive measures by citizens," Director General of the National Pharmacovigilance Centre and member of the scientific committee to combat Coronavirus Riadh Daghfous indicated on Friday. In an interview with TAP, he said that February had seen a fall in the number of Covid-19 infections, and that on average only one case of death had been reported per week, adding that Covid-19 has not yet been classified as a seasonal disease by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Since the beginning of the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in Tunisia (March 2020), some 30,000 fatalities have been recorded, he recalled. He also called on citizens to carry on getting vaccinated against Covid-19, especially the most vulnerable categories (the elderly, pregnant women, etc...), pointing out that the administration of vaccines in previous years has helped citizens build up an immune defence against the Omicron va riant. As far as respiratory diseases are concerned, Daghfous explained that seasonal influenza is the most widespread virus in Tunisia this winter, followed by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or bronchiolitis in second place, the Rhinovirus (third) and then Sars Cov 2 (Coronavirus 2) (fourth). Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse Patients in Thika are a relieved lot, after a local hospital procured a laparoscopy digital machine that will not only ease surgery procedures but also reduce treatment costs. The Mary Help the Sick Mission Hospital, the first private hospital in Thika to install state-of-the-art medical equipment, will end the headaches of travelling abroad or to Nairobi to seek specialised treatment. Speaking while launching the equipment, hospital CEO Dr. Sagaya Rani said the machine will be a game changer in helping patients seeking surgery. She said that using the machine, their specialised doctors will be able to identify tumours and cases that need surgery, and the machine will precision-pierce through to the specific area and remove the tumour. The new machine will be precise in its procedures, unlike normal surgeries, which require open surgery affecting large areas of the body. 'This has come at the right time, as the hospital has been hiring equipment from the more established hospitals across the Country, wh ich has been expensive and sometimes not consistently available,' she said. The Hospital Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jesse Gitaka, said with the new machine, surgery charges are expected to go down. He said surgical procedures will be effective as they will be performed through one or multiple small incisions rather than large ones through the abdominal wall. 'There will be minimal blood loss, no scars as with normal procedures, and patients will heal fast and be discharged fast; this will reduce congestion in the wards,' Dr. Gitaka said. He said the technology can also be used to treat complicated cases, especially those with increased risks during open surgery. He added that the hospital has a specialised team of doctors for the procedures and that they are embarking on training the medical personnel so as to have top medical experts at the facility. During the official launch of the equipment at the hospital, one of the beneficiaries, Jesta Njiru, a Thika resident, said she faced a lot of challenges a fter discovering that she had a tumour in her veins. She could not get pregnant after several attempts, but after being referred to the hospital, she was operated on, and luckily, she is now pregnant. 'I'm happy that I'm among the first beneficiaries of this machine. After getting operated on and removing the tumour, I'm now pregnant and hope many more people will benefit from this machine,' said Jesta. Source: Kenya News Agency