KUWAIT: Health Ministry Undersecretary Dr Mustafa Redha holds a press conference yesterday. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Health Ministry Undersecretary Dr Mustafa Redha denied anew press reports that there are hundreds of cases of scabies in Kuwaiti hospitals, adding that no patients have been transferred to any hospital in the past months. He said at a press conference at Adan Hospital yesterday that reports circulated on the spread of such diseases are baseless and that the matter is being investigated on a regional level.

Education Ministry Undersecretary Dr Haitham Al-Athari also strongly denied reports of the spread of scabies in Kuwait, stressing things are completely under control. He added that the education ministry has not detected a single case in any of its schools. Redha said only a single case was detected over the past two weeks, adding that the usual incidence in Kuwait is two to 10 cases a year. Reports of 200 scabies patients in Adan Hospital and 70 in Jahra Hospital are "totally false", Redha earlier told KUNA.

Redha reiterated that scabies medicines are readily available in the country and are enough to last eight months. "The ministry is following the developments related to infectious and communicable diseases in the area very closely, and takes into consideration the availability of necessary vaccinations," he said. - Agencies