Azerbaijan to enhance hospitals with additional equipment if necessary, says minister

By Trend

If necessary, hospitals in Azerbaijan will be equipped with additional equipment, until now the situation in Azerbaijan is not at that level, the country's Health Minister Oqtay Shiraliyev said during a TV program, Trend reports.

The minister said all those responsible for state structures and ministries in Azerbaijan are engaged in work related to reducing the spread of coronavirus in the country.

"We have enough people working, all the precaution measures are implemented. We also have several plans, including reserve hospitals. However, we're trying to make sure the situation in Azerbaijan won't reach the level of other countries," he said.

The minister also spoke about the visit of WHO officials to Azerbaijan.

"They came in, saw that we've already organized necessary measures and that the situation in the country isn't that bad," he said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

Azerbaijan is one of the countries affected by the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The country's official structures are applying necessary measures to prevent any possible exposure of coronavirus. Azerbaijan has also imported necessary medical equipment to carry out coronavirus tests.

Azerbaijan's official structures have also set up quarantine centers in the country's districts, which would allow to react faster to the possible outbreak due to joint borders. Azerbaijan shares border with Iran, where coronavirus is currently spreading rapidly.

As a contribution to international efforts to prevent the risk of the spread of coronavirus infection, Azerbaijan's government provided voluntary financial assistance worth $5 million to the COVID-19 Fund as part of the WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP). On March 7 World Health Organization officially thanked Azerbaijan for its financial contribution to the global COVID-19 response.