MUSCAT: The Sultanate, represented by the Ministry of Health, participated in the 5th extraordinary meeting of the GCC Health Ministers, which was held through video conference on Saturday.
The Sultanate’s delegation was headed by Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health.
The meeting reviewed the developments of the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures taken by each country to contain the pandemic.
The current situation in the Sultanate in terms of updating the epidemiological indicators of the pandemic was also discussed.
The meeting reviewed the latest developments related to the Covid-19 vaccines particularly those approved by the Sultanate in addition to a summary about the Sultanate’s participation in the council’s technical meetings. Besides, the meeting discussed the vaccination guidelines in terms of the groups prioritised for vaccination, the side effects of the vaccines, which were prepared by the GCC technical committee. This is in addition to the approved protective measures and health protocols for the entry of the GCC citizens through the outlets of the GCC countries.
Visual displays of the outcomes of the GCC health under-secretaries committee and the vaccination experience in Bahrain, were displayed during the meeting.
At the end of the meeting, the GCC health ministers commended the great efforts exerted by the health workers of the ministries of health and the other public and private establishments and all the community members in the GGC countries who have contributed positively to overcome the crisis.
They also commended the increase in vaccination rates among individuals of the GCC countries and the awareness campaigns about the importance of the vaccination and the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines as a way for protecting the communities and overcoming the pandemic.
They underscored the importance of exchanging information between the member states regarding the latest developments of the pandemic, the viral mutations, the protective measures and information about the vaccines and their effectiveness across all age groups and the side effects detected as a result of vaccination.
The GCC health ministers agreed to allocate Saudi Riyal 1 million for each country from the GCC’s account to study the genome sequencing of coronavirus. It will be optional for the GCC countries to share their studies while stressing the data privacy of each country. — ONA
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