Teachers, interns learn ways to tackle swine flu

JEDDAH: Around 100 interns from three medical colleges and 1,100 teachers from various schools in Makkah province simultaneously began on Tuesday training sessions on how to tackle the spread of H1N1 virus.

The trainees are being coached on the symptoms of the virus, and on how to diagnose infections, protect against it and curb its spread.

The 100 men and women participating in the interns’ training are from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah and Taif University. The training, which was held at the Research and Studies Center of King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah, was attended by Dr. Sami Muhammad Badawood, director of Health Affairs in Jeddah, and Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Quthani, the dean of the Medical College at Umm Al-Qura University.

Those who have attended the training are expected to spread awareness about the disease among various sections of society, including families and the student community.

Dr. Adil Turkistani of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Ministry of Health delivered a lecture in which he discussed how the pandemic spreads. Dr. Sulafa Qutob, consultant in family and society medicine at the Maternity and Children’s Hospital in Jeddah, also delivered a lecture along the same lines.

Nuha Dashdash, assistant to the director of health affairs for primary health care, spoke about the arrangements made by the Department of Health Affairs in Jeddah on dealing with the pandemic.

Meanwhile, 1,100 teachers representing various schools in Makkah province began their training in 23 centers. They will later impart their knowledge about the disease to students and fellow teachers.

Bakr bin Ibrahim Basfar, director of education in Makkah and chairman of the coordination committee for tackling swine flu, said the trainees will in turn be tasked with training about 10,000 teachers and administrators in the province.

The Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that three more people died of swine flu, taking the total death toll in the Kingdom to 29. The new cases included two Saudi men and a Saudi woman.