The Health Affairs in Bisha has denied that some people in the area have contracted bilharzia, a disease caused by parasites and flatworms. Reacting to reports that some people picnicking near running water at Al-Abla villages west of Bisha Governorate contracted bilharzia. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, spokesman of the Health Affairs said so far no such case has been diagnosed. “If there is any similar case, we will mobilize all our staff to contain the disease. We have effective methods to control vectors of such diseases and we spray insecticides all over the governorate's valleys and villages including Al-Abla villages.” Muhammad Abdullah Al-Mazidi, a citizen, said that “bilharzia exists in Al-Abla villages and is expected to spread. Every year, new bilharzia cases are found in the villages and the concerned authorities don't take any strict measures to control the source of vectors. The health Affairs is not performing its duties properly. Al-Abla doesn't have a health center that can diagnose or treat similar cases.” Muhammad Al-Aklabi, a citizen, said he suffered from pain in the stomach last year. “Doctors at Tabalah Hospital were able to diagnose the cause of the pain, which was bilharzia. They asked my family members to come to the hospital and do medical tests, the results of which showed that they had the same disease as well. Doctors said that the contaminated water caused the disease. The hospital reported the incident to Bisha Health Affairs which sent a mobile laboratory at the area. The laboratory staff remained for a few days in the area and that was it. Al-Abla is supposed to have a health center and teams to spray insecticides in the villages to eradicate this disease,” he said. Ayedh Al-Mazidi, another citizen, lamented that despite many villagers and visitors contracting bilharzia every year, the health authorities do nothing about it. __
