The global medical charity, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), believes that the response measures against COVID-19 in northeastern Syria, a significant part of which is controlled by Kurdish forces, are not enough since the region lacks laboratory testing and does not have sufficient hospital capacity, MSF emergency manager for Syria, Will Turner, told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2020) The global medical charity, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), believes that the response measures against COVID-19 in northeastern Syria, a significant part of which is controlled by Kurdish forces, are not enough since the region lacks laboratory testing and does not have sufficient hospital capacity, MSF emergency manager for Syria, Will Turner, told Sputnik.
"The nine years of conflict resulted in a weakened health system in Syria. However, for the northeast part of the country where we are supporting and working with the local health authorities, we are deeply concerned about the lack of laboratory testing, the absence of contact tracing, inadequate hospital capacity to manage patients and limited availability of personal protection equipment. The response in northeast Syria at this time is not nearly enough. A significant increase in assistance from health actors, humanitarian organizations and donors are essential," Turner said.
Turner also stressed the lack of medical personnel working on the ground in northern Syria.
"There is a lack of personal protection equipment, medication and specialized equipment for critical patient care. Testing capacity and laboratory in the northern part of the country are also much needed, yet there is also a lack of medical staff," he concluded.
The Syrian government's health authorities have registered 42 coronavirus cases as of Thursday, with three patients having died and six recovered.
On Thursday, Ahmed Tumah, a Syrian opposition representative in the Astana-format peace talks, told Sputnik that no coronavirus cases had been registered among Syrians in the areas under the control of the opposition forces in the northwestern Idlib province. According to him, medics in Idlib were trained after new technical equipment arrived in the province, and now they can treat patients who test positive for COVID-19.
