“So far no quarantine rooms have been prepared and all suspected cases of Coronavirus are quarantined in their homes, hence, most of them have not found medical centers to test.” said the head of Libya’s National Center for Disease Control, Badr Al-Din Al-Najjar on Monday.
He confirmed the concerns of a relative of Libya’s first confirmed case had said, “that hospitals lacks the capability to quarantine, and like the case is with the rest of Libya’s hospitals, it lacks necessary medical equipment”.
Owing to the current volatile circumstances of the ongoing conflict in the country, medical centers and staff are not equipped to deal with a sudden outbreak.
The NCDC head confirmed that medical staff would flee upon learning of the arrival of any COVID-19 cases that required treatment. He stressed the need for the Ministry of Health and the concerned authorities to carry out their duties in a professional manner.
Al-Najjar confirmed that the medical experts of Libya were although well qualified, lacked the means to sufficiently manage the current situation, noting that a lack of control would spell a national health disaster.