Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz,

immediately on his return from a tour of the Americas and Europe, traveled to Jizan Province, where

officials briefed him on the ongoing efforts to control the outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in the area.

The Crown Prince endorsed the formation of an ad hoc committee for study of the province's future

requirements as well as its urgent needs, to be headed by Minister of Interior Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz

and comprised of the ministers of Finance and National Economy, Health, Agriculture and Water, Municipal

and Rural Affairs, plus the provincial Governor.

The Crown Prince paid an inspection visit to the Center for Combating RVF set up by the Ministry of

Agriculture and Water, where he was briefed on the measures being taken such as vaccination, aerial

insecticide spraying, and destroying of infected livestock. He also visited King Fahd Central Hospital in

Jizan, and spoke with patients suffering from the fever.
Jizan Province has 13 hospitals, with three more under construction, and the total number of beds is

1,940. There are 135 primary health care centers, 1,300 doctors, and 4,000 nurses.  There is a health

science college and girls' nursing institute.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health reported that from 7 pm Sunday to 7 pm Monday, there were only six

new cases of the disease, all of them in Jizan. The hospitals in Najran and Qunfuda are now free of all RVF

cases. The total number of cases since the start of the outbreak now stands at 229, with 52 fatalities and

68 patients fully recovered.

Return