Riyadh, Dec 5 (IANS): Saudi Arabia has appointed a woman, Tamara Tayeb, to lead the country's fight against the Ebola virus disease, media reported Friday.

Deputy Commander of the Command and Control Centre (CCC) at the Saudi health ministry, Anees Sindi, appointed the centre's first female member, Tayeb, to serve as its Ebola director to boost the organisation’s efforts and responses relating to the disease, the Arab News reported.

Sindi noted that while the overall risk posed by Ebola to the Gulf nation remained low, it was important that the healthcare system stayed alert and prepared for the possibility of infection and that the people, particularly those travelling abroad, were aware of the symptoms of the disease.

"Preventing the spread of Ebola to the Kingdom is an important priority for our nation and our healthcare community," Sindi said.

"It has a low probability of occurring, but is a risk that carries a high potential impact. Tamara is, has been and will continue to serve as our advocate for best practices in the preparation, detection and response to the possibility of Ebola, and will serve as a liaison with our international partners to assure the safety of patients, healthcare workers and the public at large," he added.

Tayeb will coordinate and drive the work of all CCC platforms and external parties, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) to develop and implement solutions that will serve and protect the Saudi people.