Magdy Mostafa
Who will bear the costs of quarantine for those infected with Coronavirus? This matter is occupying a number of countries in the world with the spread of the epidemic, after two-thirds of the world's population became mortgaged to the home quarantine, while there are no accurate figures on quarantine in the facilities allocated to it.
In light of this atmosphere, the cost of the quarantine - as well as its capacity and availability - occupies many countries. Few of them sponsor this procedure and offer it for free to all without discrimination, but there are other countries that have decided to charge that cost to expatriates subject to this type of quarantine, and some countries are considering that they do the same. She followed suit, at a time when complaints about that cost were escalating, in preparation for taking that step.
The quarantine procedure that is frequently frequented by the Corona Virus pandemic is not new to the world, and is usually done when an infectious disease spreads, and then those who are exposed to infection are required to stay at home or in another specific location, to prevent the spread of the disease to others, and the people applied to the quarantine are subject to monitoring Any symptoms that may appear on them, and the duration of the quarantine is determined based on the period of incubation of the disease.
A quarantine (carinthia or quarantine) is a place where people may be at risk of infection. The duration of the quarantine depends on the time required to provide protection, in the face of the threat of specific diseases. Quarantine in the context of health care refers to the various medical measures taken to thwart the spread of infection that may spread in hospitals.
The World Health Organization and health institutions distinguish between quarantine and isolation. Sanitary isolation is applied to patients who have been diagnosed with an infectious disease, in which case they are isolated from the rest of the healthy.
| Riak Machar, vice president of South Sudan and his wife, shun hands. (Reuters) |
Just as the virus began to appear in China, isolation and quarantine measures began there as well, and as soon as new infections became less severe there, many of the 26 Chinese cities and provinces that imposed quarantine on expatriates demanded that quarantine people bear the costs of quarantine themselves.
As for the American state of Hawaii located in the Pacific Ocean, which is a tourist destination for citizens of the United States and other countries of the world, it paves the way for the imposition of quarantine for a period of 14 days on arrivals from abroad, provided that they bear the expenses.
In South Korea, the government is considering rethinking its health policy towards those infected with the virus, after covering quarantine costs even for foreigners, in light of complaints and criticisms directed to the Korean government that this policy may put a burden on the state treasury.
A Korean Foreign Ministry official indicated earlier this week that the policy could be changed, saying: "We are closely monitoring the movements and positions of countries, and I think we will have to determine our position based on our reading of those positions."
What South Korea thinks has already been applied by South Sudan, the newest country in the world and one of the poorest and least capable. Last Saturday, their governments announced that those entering their territories from the countries where the new Coronavirus was spread will be isolated for 14 days at their own expense.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Macor Curium, said that everyone who enters South Sudan from the countries affected by the new Coronavirus will be subject to examination at entry points, then they will be transferred to the quarantine centers for 14 days, saying that the passengers will pay the quarantine costs, but he did not specify the value of that cost. .
| A group of Jordanian army personnel guarding a hotel in Amman that turned into a quarantine center (Reuters) |
What is silent about his identification with the health official in South Sudan, the Jordanian Minister of Health Saad Jaber elaborated on it, saying in a television interview two weeks ago that the cost per day per person in quarantine ranges between 120 to 180 dinars (170 to 253 dollars).
He explained that this cost includes "residence, food, cleaning, medical teams and security teams that prevent their exit and prevent others from visiting them." The cost of a health isolation patient - according to what the Jordanian minister said - is 1,200 dinars per day ($ 1690).
The Jordanian minister's statements were met with criticism and a state of dissatisfaction, which was revealed by the result of an opinion poll conducted by one of the TV stations about whether the participants are convinced of the minister's words about the cost of the person in quarantine, and the results showed that 13% said: Yes, while 87% said: No.
The medical costs expert, Dr. Emad Al-Hutba, considered that "talking about the costs of stone is not the prerogative of the Minister of Health. .
To contain the confusion about this matter, the Jordanian Ministry of Health issued a statement saying that mentioning the material cost of quarantine and sanitary isolation for Corona patients "came to be requested by some of the competent authorities, which request numbers to measure the economic burden on the country due to the virus, and help in making decisions more effectively, This allows all resources to be used to protect citizens. "
The ministry’s statement stated that “the patient’s cost is measured by doctors, nursing, therapies, medical devices and supplies, insulation materials, special clothing for protection, etc., and these numbers are not paid financially but are the total cost, for the purposes of estimating expenditures and compensating the deficient, supporting cadres and many unforeseen expenses.”
In light of the recent costs and related figures, many voices warn of the sensitivity of this matter, the necessity of not exaggerating it, and presenting humanitarian considerations over material considerations, especially since the suspect is injured and cannot bear the costs of quarantine, he may be forced to hide his condition and integrate between people, and here it becomes The risk is greater and the cost is more.