Taking the World Health Organization’s warnings of a possible pandemic because of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) into consideration, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed the preparations must be made for the development of any situations in order to put a reliable barrier to the dangerous infection and protect the health of the citizens, as well as stressed the importance of systematic monitoring in this area during a meeting on Tuesday with the Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Emergency Disease Control Commission Purli Agamyradov and the Minister of Health and Medical Industry Nurmuhammet Amannepesov.
The Head of State emphasized the necessity of fully responsible and comprehensive approach to prevent the entry of acute pneumonia into Turkmenistan caused by the new coronavirus and outlined the following tasks:
- regularly hold meetings of the Emergency Disease Control Commission and carefully analyze all incoming information in them, provide for possible manifestations of infectious diseases and take prompt response measures if necessary;
- ensure control over visits of Turkmen citizens traveling abroad for tourism, cultural, sports and other purposes.
- continue a thorough medical examination of citizens arriving to Turkmenistan from foreign countries;
- continue enhanced monitoring of the health status of citizens in all border checkpoints of Turkmenistan;
- ensure the full operation of diagnostic equipment in checkpoints to prevent the spread of infectious diseases;
- strictly monitor the availability of sufficient supplies of disinfectants and supplies;
- strengthen daily disinfection activities at international airports, sea, river, road and rail border crossings, and at railway stations;
- conduct widespread awareness-raising events among the population on the prevention of infectious diseases.
At the meeting, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that due to the large-scale work, timely taken measures and the clear coordination of the services, not a single case of dangerous infection with coronavirus has been recorded in Turkmenistan.
By order of the President, Turkmenistan has now introduced appropriate controls and quarantines of citizens arriving from abroad to ensure safety, and created control centers for the Emergency Disease Control Commission. Until the stabilization of the epidemiological situation, the departure of Turkmen citizens to the states where the disease is registered is limited, with the exception of official necessity.
24-hour duty is carried out in sanitary-quarantine points and departments at international airports of Turkmenistan, in all state border crossings, on sea, automobile and railway tracks, where a medical examination is conducted using modern technical and diagnostic equipment.
The implementation of quarantine by specialized medical institutions is ensured by all necessary equipment and medicines. In the velayat, etrap and city medical institutions, a stock of disinfectants, antiseptics and medicines has been created, doctors are provided with personal protective clothings.
Family doctors are vaccinating the population against acute respiratory diseases, and awareness-raising preventive measures have been intensified among university students, schoolchildren, as well as children attending kindergartens, and their parents. In medical institutions, thematic training workshops are organized.
The control over the import of food products, consumer goods delivered from abroad, measures for checking goods, sanitization of vehicles has been strengthened.
Preventive vaccination of the population against seasonal acute respiratory infections is currently underway.
The data of the public health departments of the Ashgabat and the velayats on the epidemiological situation are summarized and daily reports are compiled. Data from the World Health Organization is regularly studied. Preventive recommendations are published in the mass media, and family doctors carry out relevant awareness-raising measures to the population.
