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TUNIS. – Tunisian President Kais Saied said yesterday that the military health department will take over management of the health crisis in the country amid a COVID-19 outbreak – an escalation of a battle over powers with the prime minister.
Tunisia is struggling to cope with a resurgence of the virus, with intensive care wards full and doctors overburdened by a rapid rise in cases and deaths and a lack of oxygen supplies.
Saied’s comments come after Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi sacked Health Minister Faouzi Mehdi on Tuesday amid an exchange of accusations over performance in the fight against the pandemic and the slow pace of the vaccination campaign.
Mechichi accused Mehdi, who is close to Saied, of making “criminal” decisions that led to overcrowding and chaos at vaccination centres.
But Saied, who is at odds with Mechichi over their respective powers and political alliances, said that violence, chaos and overcrowding in vaccination centres in Tuesday was orchestrated by people within the political system.
“The Military Health Department will take over the management of the health crisis in the country,” he said during a visit to a vaccination centre in Tunis. – Reuters
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