By Ashwaq Al-Tuwairqi and Abdulaziz Al-Rubaie

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH — The Directorate of Health Affairs has claimed that 80 percent of scabies patients have recovered.

Makkah Health Affairs Director General Dr. Wael Mutair told a press conference here on Sunday that the total number of scabies patients since the outbreak of the disease has reached 2,156.

“Our health facilities and medical staff have been diligent in treating the patients. We treated the first four patients reported before the outbreak. Once the number began increasing, we formed 108 teams of field health practitioners that were in schools, homes and neighborhoods where the outbreak was focused. We even opened 15 health centers during the weekend to treat the rising number of patients,” said Mutair.

He added there have been numerous rumors exaggerating the number of patients. The director urged the general public to get their information directly from the directorate. Any other source is not credible enough and may be spreading inaccurate information.

Makkah Education Affairs Director Mohammad Al-Harthy said in reply to some parents’ wish to sue the directorate for not informing them of the outbreak that all schools are required to report any sighting of scabies patient.

“Schools failing to report such an incident will be penalized. The Burmese community has been offered night schools that take place in the same building as some public schools nearby. We served over 40,000 Burmese student through our program with a budget reaching SR800 million,” said Al-Harthy.