Health

Tunisia marks one year of pandemic amid severe economic crisis

Tunisia, Mar 25 (EFE) .- (Camera: Natalia Román Morte) A year after confirming its first case of Covid-19, Tunisia is facing a severe economic, political and social crisis that has pushed its precarious health system to the limit and weakened the most disadvantaged classes, forced to choose "between dying of hunger or dying of coronavirus" in the second country in Africa in the percentage of deaths associated with the pandemic.FOOTAGE OF THE PASTEUR INSTITUTE OF TUNISIA.SOUNDBITES IN FRENCH OF HECHMI LOUZIR GENERAL DIRECTOR OF THE PASTEUR INSTITUTE AND MEMBER OF THE TUNISIAN SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE.TRANSLATION:- "There has been a lack of respect for preventive measures and lack of means because our system, already in normal conditions, the resuscitation and oxygen beds, were at the limit, we can say".- "We've never heard of this. Pharmaceutical companies ask and demand, even before distributing the vaccines, that there be specific legislation in the countries that are going to receive them that says that in case of side effects the Government takes over. For this it has been necessary to pass laws, we have approved two".- "Many have been invited (to be vaccinated) and have not shown up, let's hope they show up. We know that first-line doctors play a very important role as intermediaries and if they are convinced of the benefits of the vaccine and are better informed of the risks and advantages, etc. the message is more easily transmitted to the population".