Health Minister lashes out at WHO for causing panic to citizens

5/10/2009 4:01:00 PM

CAIRO, May 10 (KUNA) -- Egyptian Minister of Health Dr. Hatem el-Gabali on Sunday issued a sharp criticism at the World Health Organization (WHO) for causing panic to citizens after raising the degree of readiness to five out of the six degree level sclae in regard to the swin flu epidemic. El-Gabali said in a statement before a meeting of the People Assembly's Health Committee that raising the alert level to this extent does not reflect at all the ferocity of the disease nor the the numbers of injured. He said that such matter would only be justified should the epidemic spreads in two different areas, in addition to a considerable overestimation of the Western media about the disease and the rejection of a link between what happened with the Spanish flu, which emerged after the Second World War and the swine flu. He expected a lethargic of swine flu virus spread in the two or three weeks to come to be then followed by another period of revitalization for this dreaded disease in the autumn, calling for resistance to the rumors about the disease and to inquire about anything about it. He said that about 2,500 suspected cases had been examined so far, which all were confirmed negative, stressing that all outlets are strictly controlled and the red Xrays would be introduced at these outlets to prevent any suspected swine flu cases.