The Tunisian government on Tuesday sacked Health Minister Faouzi Mehdi as the country struggles to cope with surging numbers of COVID-19 cases, reported France 24.
The health minister’s sacking came days after the ministry’s spokeswoman said the health situation in the country was overwhelming, with the pandemic causing more than 17,000 deaths in a population of around 12 million.
Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi announced Mehdi’s sacking in a brief statement without giving a reason for the move.
The statement said that Mehdi has been replaced by Social Affairs Minister Mohamed Trabelsi, who would head the ministry in a caretaker capacity.
Mehdi had ordered the opening of temporary vaccination stations for Tunisians over 18 years of age on Tuesday and Wednesday, leading to stampedes at some of the 29 vaccination centers. The ministry had to discontinue the campaign and restrict access to vaccination to those aged over 40 on Wednesday to avoid a rush.
Notably, the Tunisian government has seen several ministers resign over tensions with parliament and the presidency.
On Sunday, the health ministry reported 2,520 new coronavirus cases and 117 deaths, taking the total recorded cases to more than half a million.
Earlier this month, Health ministry spokeswoman Nissaf Ben Alya said the health situation in the country was catastrophic as intensive care units are filled and hospitals struggle with a lack of oxygen supplies.
The health ministry’s Facebook page said special field hospitals set up in recent months are not enough to cater to the growing number of coronavirus patients.
The Tunisian government has imposed a total lockdown on six regions and a partial lockdown in the capital. The country is facing a third wave of infections where the health system is already crowded.
The situation is compounded by the slow pace of the vaccination campaign. So far, only 940,000 people have been fully vaccinated out of a total of 11.6 million residents.
