China to train Libyan doctors amid global coronavirus spread

TRIPOLI -- The Health Ministry of Libya's UN-backed government said Monday that China has offered to train Libyan doctors to tackle any possible coronavirus infections.

"The Ministry of Health of the Government of National Accord, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has received an offer by its counterpart in China to hold an international training program to introduce experts in Libya to the protocols used by China in diagnosing and treating cases of the novel coronavirus," the Health Ministry said in a statement.

"The training program, which will be conducted using distance training techniques, offers introduction of the methods adopted by China in dealing with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, along with ways to deal with the obstruction of the respiratory passages (of patients) during the infection stage," said the statement.

A team of Chinese experts who have taken part in the epidemic fight in China will run the training program, which will also provide an introduction to acute cases, it said.

Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj last week declared a state of emergency and mobilization against possible coronavirus infections in the country.

Noting no infections have been detected in Libya, Serraj said his country has allocated half a billion dinars ($360 million) to take protective measures against any possible infections.

On Monday, Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala told a press conference here that Libya has officially requested technical help from China against the virus.