Palestine doctors may lack supplies, but not courage

Editor's note: This news column showcases stories from around the world that bring a touch of positivity to the fight against the deadly coronavirus.

HEBRON, West Bank－Shady Abu Ayyash, a Palestinian physician from the West Bank city of Hebron, has been doing all that he can to save the lives of COVID-19 patients in the government-owned Dora Hospital.

Wearing his protective suit, gloves and mask, Abu Ayyash moves from one room to another to check on his patients.

"Wearing gowns for long hours during hot summer days is unbearable," said the 42-year-old father of three, adding doctors barely use the toilet or take a break at work "because of the difficulty of taking off the protective gowns".

Despite his fear of being infected with the virus, the doctor said he puts that aside as he goes into battle against COVID-19.

"I may get infected since we don't have all the capabilities to fight the disease and its spread, but it is my duty," Abu Ayyash said.

In response to an increasing number of patients at the Dora Hospital where dozens of doctors work around the clock, the government established a new department at another hospital in the city for the treatment of coronavirus patients.

On the day he was interviewed, Mohamed Reby, director of the Dora Hospital, said the facility－equipped with 12 ventilators and 20 intensive care beds－was treating about 40 COVID-19 patients, eight of whom were in intensive care with three on them on ventilators.

Hebron, the most populous city in the West Bank with around 750,000 residents, has recorded the highest rate of COVID-19 infections and deaths since the first case in the Palestinian territories was identified on March 5.

"The number of infections in the city has reached almost 5,500 with 50 deaths. The health ministry conducts more than 1,000 tests every day in the city," said Afif Atawneh, the official leading the city's coronavirus response.

Commercial hub

The disease has spread widely in Hebron because it is a commercial hub and a point for Palestinian workers to cross into Israel, he said.

Adding to the strains on the health system, around 100 of the city's doctors have become infected while treating coronavirus patients.

"The increasing number of infections and the spread of the disease significantly increase the need for medical supplies and medical personnel," said Wael Abu Snineh, head of the Medical Syndicate in Hebron.

"Hospitals in the city need 500 intensive-care units, but we only have 60. We also need 200 ventilators. We have only 40 now," Abu Snineh said.

So far, Palestine has recorded 10,520 infections, including 66 deaths, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Xinhua