Muscat: The Director of the Department of Diseases Surveillance and Control at the Directorate General of Health Services in Muscat Governorate has urged people not to circulate rumours and unauthorized news about vaccines.
The Directorate General of Health Services in the Governorate of Muscat is making continuous efforts to complete the vaccination operations and take vaccines against Corona, at a time it seeks to strike a balance with the primary health services it provides and to enhance awareness of the importance of social distancing and wearing masks to prevent and limit the spread of the epidemic.
Dr. Lamia Bint Hussein Al-Baloushi, Director of Diseases Surveillance and Control Department at the General Directorate of Health Services in Muscat Governorate:" After a long journey in the face of the Covid 19 pandemic, the General Directorate's efforts are continuing to complete what has been accomplished in the previous stage by providing primary and preventive services and completing vaccination efforts. At the beginning of the year, the national campaign for immunization against Covid 19 was activated, which aims to immunize at least 60% of the community in several stages."
She added that:" With the onset of the pandemic there was no time to restructure the health system, as the Directorate continued to activate the role of primary health care by providing health centers with its basic services in addition to its new work to confront Covid 19 cases, as their role emerged in the epidemiological investigation, follow-up of cases, and isolation of contacts at home or workplaces."
Dr. Lamia touched on the formation of public health teams to follow up on people in the isolation stages on a daily basis, and the most prominent programs that have emerged are digital health and finding alternatives to communicate with patients, follow them up, and provide them with primary care services.
She indicated that: "In the light of the epidemic conditions, the decision was taken to limit periodic visits to health centers with the aim of trying to narrow preventive measures and health distancing. To achieve greater effectiveness, the health services in Muscat have strengthened cooperation with the Directorate General of Education in the governorate and private schools to follow up on suspected cases and infections in schools and to undertake intensive efforts in the field of epidemiological investigation and the necessary interventions to limit the spread of disease in schools. Given that the health services in Muscat are a key member of the institutional isolation team with the relief and accommodation sector and with the Oman Airports team, their efforts continued by activating their prominent role in following up on travelers during isolation."
Regarding immunization operations against Covid 19, Dr. Lamia said that: A specialized technical team was formed to implement the campaign based on the target groups and the available quantities of vaccines, as the Directorate began providing vaccines in health centers at the beginning. In view of some of the challenges that we faced in the beginning as a result of the target group's reluctance to vaccinate, the continuous awareness-raising activity was activated, providing correct and realistic information about vaccines, and confronting all circulating rumors."
"The health services in Muscat have also activated an effective monitoring system to follow up reports of possible and expected side effects of vaccination." Dr. Lamia added.
Dr. Lamia indicated that:"The turnout in all health centers designated for vaccination was great by those targeted."
She added that: "The creation of suitable places was expanded to accommodate large numbers of those wishing to be vaccinated, as well as achieving physical distancing in order to preserve the safety of those targeted and facilitate them to obtain vaccinations and find better health regulation processes. Central sites have been activated at the level of Muscat Governorate to administer vaccinations, which is the main hall of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher and allocated for those targeted from the wilayats of Bausher and Seeb, and at Sablat Muttrah and allocated to those targeted from the wilayats of Muttrah and Muscat and at the office of the governor of Qurayyat for those targeted from the wilayat as well as the Qurayyat Health Complex for those targeted from that wilayat. "
Dr. Lamia explained that:" The Directorate General of Health Services in Muscat has activated the notification information service about vaccination centers against COVID-19 on the number (1144), with the aim of providing guidance and responding to the consultations and inquiries received about vaccination operations and the availability of vaccines."
" The Director of the Department of Diseases Surveillance and Control at the Directorate General of Health Services in Muscat Governorate call for community members in light of exceptional circumstances to start protecting themselves, adhering to preventive measures, applying social distancing standards, wearing masks, not circulating rumors and unapproved news, following the approved channels of the Ministry of Health and following up on updates to the target groups and vaccination centers." the statement added
