Continuous preparations for coronavirus quarantine at Derik Hospital in northeastern Syria
Derik – North-Press Agency
Solnar Muhammad
The Health Board in al-Jazira region continues to equip a special section for possible infections with coronavirus at Derik Hospital, far northeastern Syria, in collaboration with an Italian organization.
On Wednesday, Rojin Ahmed, a spokesperson for the Health Board in Qamishli, said that they had started preparing a special section for possible infections with coronavirus at Derik Hospital about 10 days ago in preparation for any future emergency.
She said in an interview with North-Press: "The work of rehabilitating and equipping the section came in cooperation with the Italian organization UPP, and it will include about 40 beds, spread between the stable cases that are 24 beds, and the worst cases eight beds, in addition to a section that will contain eight ventilators.”
Ahmed added, "There are two zones in the center that are red and yellow, where medical staff will change their clothes, sterilize their tools and dress up, and then enter the red zone containing patients who will receive the medicine and food they need within the same section."
"The hospital is expected to be completed and serviced 15 days from now," Ahmed said.
In a related context, Ahmed indicated that they have conducted tests for about 20 cases since they received the PCR device for detecting the coronavirus and that the results were negative. "No cases have been recorded in northeastern Syria yet," she said.
Autonomous Administration areas face severe medical shortages, especially with the lack of support from international organizations and the absence of aid provided by the WHO, which constitutes a new threat to the residents of the region, while the local authorities have repeatedly appealed to the international community to provide aid in light of fears of the spread of the virus.
Last Friday, the United Nations announced the first coronavirus death in northeastern Syria, about two weeks after the individual's death, and the sending of the sample taken to Damascus to carry out the necessary analysis.
The Autonomous Administration accused the World Health Organization of hiding the existence of a suspected case and not informing the Administration of the result, holding it responsible for the presence or spread of coronavirus in its areas.
In a remarkable step, on Monday, the Kurdish Red Crescent opened a hospital called COVID-19 to receive cases infected with the novel coronavirus in the western countryside of Hasakah.
Dilgesh Issa, the medical coordinator for the Kurdish Red Crescent, said that the hospital was equipped by the Kurdish Red Crescent and with the help of some international organizations, with a capacity of 60 beds now, in addition to the availability of oxygen tanks and some medical equipment to deal with moderate cases of the coronavirus.
Issa pointed out that in the near future, another hospital with a capacity of 60 beds will also be equipped in the city of Hasakah.
He pointed out that discussions are being held with the Health Board in Raqqa and Manbij to equip similar centers to receive cases of coronavirus.
"But the new hospital needs ventilators and ICU equipment for cases that need intensive care," according to the medical coordinator of the Kurdish Red Crescent.