Turkey asks if WHO ready for second wave of outbreak

ANKARA

Turkey’s Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has asked whether the World Health Organization (WHO) has prepared for a possible second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Koca tabled the question during the weekly teleconference meeting of the WHO, chaired by its director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus, which took place on April 30.

WHO officials at the meeting did not immediately answer Koca’s question as the organization will later provide written responses to the queries raised by the attendees during the teleconference.

However, Tedros, for his part, said countries around the world began to ease coronavirus measures, however, he added, they should still be cautious.

During the meeting, Koca also briefed the participants about Turkish efforts to stem the spread of the virus.

The treatment in Turkey bore fruit and mortality rate declined, and the pace of the confirmed cases started to slow down, he stressed.

The early treatment protocols helped reduce pneumonia ratio among patients from 60 percent to 12 percent, and the death rate of patients in intensive care units dropped to 10 percent, added the minister.

Koca noted lying patients with respiratory problems face down on their beds also proves to be an effective method to treat the disease.

The minister concluded that Turkey observed the peak point 30 days after confirming its first case, and the country would maintain measures for a while to ensure eradication of the virus.

The developments in the country’s health sector over the past decade enabled Turkey to quickly respond to the pandemic, adding health technology also played a major role, Koca said.

The minister underlined Ankara maintained its collaboration with the international actors in a sense of solidarity against the virus.

“Solidarity is the most important weapon of ours against this unprecedented threat,” Koca said, adding: “In this period, we should put aside differences and focus on the solution.”