Polyclinics in the capital have stepped up efforts to create swine flu awareness among Saudis and expatriate workers by distributing face masks and a two-page booklet on the H1N1 virus in various languages. Noufal Palakkadan, administration manager of a polyclinic, said the percentage of swine flu awareness among expatriate workers is very low, which prompted his polyclinic to educate people about the dangers of the disease. He said the management of his company decided to print information about swine flu preventive measures and distribute it to people near mosques after each prayer time and at various market places along with face masks as a reminder on how to safeguard oneself against the virus. “As the saying goes ‘prevention is better than cure', we have decided to create awareness among expatriate workers, who have been found to be the least informed about the spread of the H1N1 virus,” said Palakkadan. The two-page brochure is being distributed among various expatriate communities in six different languages including Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Malayalam, he said. He said if everyone takes the responsibility of distributing information on preventive measures, the possibility of controlling and combating the spread of swine flu will be increased in the Kingdom. Dr. Mugundan, medical director of another polyclinic, has put together information in the two-page brochure on swine flu that highlights the importance of washing the hands and covering the face while sneezing or coughing and of avoiding crowded places if suffering from the flu. “The flu virus is airborne and can easily be spread if proper preventive measures are not taken,” he said. Dr. Shiva Kumar, chief medical officer of a polyclinic, said his company would also coordinate efforts to create awareness among people on swine flu preventive measures. Palakkadan said the cost of the face masks distributed free to people was SR7 in the market. “We are also distributing face masks and swine flu information booklets to patients visiting our clinic,” he added. Other polyclinics and health professionals have been engaged in the distribution of information, particularly among expatriate communities in Riyadh. Dr. Abdul Azeez Zubair Kunju, a Resident Doctor at a Primary Healthcare Center, Ministry of Health, has recently announced writing a booklet on all aspects of swine flu and preventive measures that the common man should take to safeguard against contracting the virus. However, the percentage of people wearing face masks in Riyadh is very small and it is rare to see anyone wearing a mask in market places or parks. The awareness campaign launched by polyclinics and the distribution of booklets on swine flu in various foreign languages will help to create awareness among common people.
