In a bid to accelerate inoculations and catch up with the surging COVID-19 cases, Libya has reportedly pioneered its largest vaccination center in the city of Tripoli.
Set up in the gymnasium of the City Sports venue, the vaccination center can receive between 2,000 to 3,000 people per day and is open for all without an appointment.
It is worth noting here that Libya’s health infrastructure has been battered by a decade long conflict. Since the commencement of the pandemic, the country has officially registered 274,453 cases of infection, comprising 3,811 deaths.
Libya has also managed to vaccinate around 788,116 people, in a country that merely has more than seven million and is facing a third wave of SARS-CoV-2.
According to Ali Al-Megherebi, a Tripoli resident, being in lockdown since the past few days might be a good thing for protecting the health of Libyan citizens.
Back in March 2021, Libya’s Tripoli headquartered NCDC (National Centre for Disease Control) and partnering entities rolled out an online anti-COVID-19 vaccination registration website, anticipating the arrival of the country’s first batches of vaccines.
At the time, the authorities stated that the vaccination would eventually be made available to people above the age of 18, with the first phase saved for the elderly, health workers, and people having chronic diseases. The NCDC was keen to dispel the fears of expats by emphasizing that all foreign residents would be receiving the vaccine.
As per Rawad Behelille, the Doctor and Manager of the vaccination center, there are 60 vaccination points and the center is considered to be the largest in North Africa and the entire of Africa. The center was opened for enabling the vaccination of as many Libyans as possible for protecting them from the Coronavirus spread.
Source credits:
https://www.africanews.com/2021/08/11/libya-launches-largest-vaccination-centre/