We owe it to the martyrs of Covid-19 to find the origin of the Coronavirus: WHO Chief

NOB | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

We owe it to the martyrs of Covid-19 to find the origin of the Coronavirus, said World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhnom Ghebreyesus.

More than four million people have died globally from the Coronavirus and the numbers are rising daily, he said during a press conference of the National Medical Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (Covid-19) streamed live today on the Bahrain Health Ministry’s Youtube channel.

“These people who died are not just a statistic. They are people who were someone’s father, mother, grandparents, sister or brother etc.

“We need to know what caused their death and for that, we need to know where this virus came from.

“It will not bring back the people who died but when a loved one dies, we need to know why they died.

"This is not to blame anyone but we must still know."

Mr Ghebreyesus had just good words to say about Bahrain’s prominent role in the global fight against the coronavirus (Covid-19) and called the kingdom one of the pioneering countries in the global pandemic collaborative response.

Health Minister Faeqa bint Saeed Al Saleh welcomed him at Bahrain International Airport yesterday for an official two-day visit to the Kingdom. He arrived to open a new WHO regional office in Manama, which marks Bahrain’s close cooperation with the global body throughout the pandemic and serves as the next step in the capital’s development as a leading centre of health.

Mr Ghebreyesus opened the WHO’s 152nd country office in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

He expressed thanks and appreciation to the rulers, leaders and people of Bahrain for the warm hospitality extended to him during the visit.

“The WHO office in Bahrain – 152nd office in the world - provides strategic and technical support in the health sector, which will contribute to ensuring the quality and sustainability of services provided to continue promoting public health at local, regional and international levels,” he said.

The WHO chief yesterday visited the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Center, King Hamad University Hospital, Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Hospital, and Al Shamil Field Center.

Meanwhile, the WHO chief also praised Saudi Arabia’s measures to ensure the safety of pilgrims during Hajj 2021 and their use of the latest information technologies to control the spread of COVID-19.