Farwaniya Hospital has started providing anti-meningitis vaccines to all its staffs following a peaceful demonstration by employees Monday morning demanding the vaccination.
Speaking to the Arab Times Tuesday, the hospital employees said that they were free to go to Block 1 of the hospital, which is the administrative wing, to take the vaccination. “It is not compulsory, but those who want to take the precautionary measure may do so.” The situation at the hospital was normal on Tuesday.
When the Arab Times went to the hospital, some employees were seen walking out of Block 1, rubbing their arms after the vaccination shot. Almost all the nurses Arab Times spoke to had taken the vaccine.
Further the employees noted that the vaccination program was not exclusive to any particular department in the hospital and that all employees were included. One employee who took the shot was from the nutrition department.
The hospital management was not available to comment on the issue or clarify the exact status of the meningitis patients. A hospital source unwilling to be named said that there were about 9 meningitis patients, including a child. “So far one patient has died.”

Meanwhile, the social media in Kuwait is rife with stories of a pandemic outbreak in the state, which the Ministry of Health has dismissed as baseless.
A shopping mall in Al Rai, where the first case of meningitis was allegedly reported, denied that any of its employees suffered from meningitis. A management staff at the shopping mall said the patient had died of gastric problems. “Following the death, we sent some of our other employees for a check up to ensure they are in good health, and suddenly the word got around that there is an epidemic in our mall.”
“Stories are doing rounds that the mall is going to be shut down by order from the municipality.” These are mere rumors, he added.
Earlier, the Farwaniya Hospital Deputy Director Dr Abdullah Al-Khalifa had conceded that there were three recorded cases of meningitis at the hospital. The symptoms of the disease include headache, temperature and vomiting, Al Khalifa added. “The hospital will distribute anti meningitis vaccines when an epidemic is announced in order to prevent its spread, and that will be regarded as an emergency.”