The North Syrian canton of Shehba is building a special clinic for the treatment of patients with the coronavirus in a rush. However, without international help, an outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic will hardly be manageable.
With the establishment of a new intensive care clinic especially for Covid-19 patients, the northern Syrian canton of Shehba is preparing for the outbreak of the coronavirus in the region. The improvised hospital with a total of 21 treatment rooms should be ready for use in ten days, announced Mih El-Din Amed of the local health council.
The desert-like region of Shehba borders on the Syrian governorate of Aleppo. Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped there between the Turkish Jihadist occupation zone and the regime. A large part of the population is from Afrin, who found shelter in five large camps after abandoning their villages due to the Turkish invasion two years ago. With several health posts and staff, most of whom were involved in the exodus from Afrin, the Kurdish Red Crescent organization Heyva Sor a Kurd maintains basic medical care under the most difficult conditions. However, the Turkish invasion on the one hand and the embargo imposed by the regime on the other confront the grassroots-democratically organized health system with almost insoluble tasks.
Nevertheless, three special health centres have recently been established for corona cases. Crisis intervention teams have also been set up in many places. However, the region of Shehba was a war zone and is a good breeding ground for every disease. The risk of infection is particularly high in the large refugee camps.
"The living conditions here in Shehba are precarious. Almost everything was destroyed in the war. Nevertheless the displaced people of Afrin have not lost their will to live, the resistance continues. But we are now facing the challenge of the coronavirus. Our capacity is almost exhausted, basic medical protective equipment, drugs to treat infected people and respiratory and oxygen equipment is missing", explains Amed.
Against this background, the region urgently needs international assistance, the health worker emphasizes. "We appeal to Médecins sans Frontières to provide us with medical technical support. Without the solidarity of others, an outbreak of the novel lung disease Covid-19 could not be managed.”
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