Qamishli doctors comprehensive virtual clinic initiative to reduce spread of coronavirus

North-Press Agency

On Friday, a group of doctors in northeastern Syria’s Qamishli launched an initiative aimed at medical consultations and inquiries via a WhatsApp group to avoid hospital visits and lower the risk of spreading coronavirus.

Doctors called their initiative the comprehensive virtual clinic, and a number of doctors from various specializations volunteered to respond to people's inquiries, so each patient writes about his health status and consults the doctor via telephone number to be answered in a timely manner.

The Autonomous Administration areas in northeastern Syria suffer from a lack of medical supplies for coronavirus as well as a lack of quarantine centers.

On Friday, the Health Board of the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria appealed to the United Nations in a report submitted to the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen to move quickly to provide assistance in light of the dangerous circumstances in the region as a result of the outbreak of coronavirus in neighboring countries.

In the report, the Health Board drew attention to the significant shortage of supplies and capabilities necessary to cope with the outbreak of COVID-19 to treat the infected, such as large, well-equipped medical centers, intensive care rooms, and laboratories that include PCR devices to detect infection with coronavirus, as this equipment is not available in the area.

To date, no cases have been reported in the Autonomous Administration areas in North and East Syria.