Meningitis spreads panic in the Algerian hospitals

Meningitis has killed four people while 13 others were contaminated over the last ten days in Algeria. The health ministry has closed a private clinic in the province of Blida in the wake of the death of two patients from the same disease.

Echouorouk sources have indicated that the cause of the death is due to the leak of the germ in the anaesthetic given to the patients. Two other people died yesterday in the province of M’Sila of the same disease, forcing the ministry to vaccine all the families of the dead to prevent the expansion of the epidemic.

The ministry’s spokesman Salim Belkacem has revealed to Echourouk that the relevant ministry has taken all the necessary measures to circumvent the epidemic and provided the appropriate treatment for the families of dead as well as the persons that were in touch with them.

He has further indicated that the victims died at home because they didn’t receive treatment at the hospital, noting that Algeria registers 150 to 200 cases annually most of them in the remote and isolated regions.

The health ministry has reassured the citizens contending that these cases are isolated but summoned them to stay alert and move to the nearest hospital in case they feel the same symptoms.

Professor Bekat Berkani has declared to Echourouk that meningitis cannot be considered in Algeria because it is well under control, but he found it strange that patients die of this disease in private clinic where cleanliness is supposed to be the main priority.

He has warned against the spread of the disease among the infants calling on the parents to raise the level of vigilance.