The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Coronavirus | Poor healthcare services and precautionary measures to tackle the virus in areas held by HTS and factions

Volunteer teams, in collaboration with health centers, are sterilizing camps and public places to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, in addition to launching health awareness raising campaigns for people in Idlib and Aleppo countryside.

Some organizations have also distributed masks to university and school students.

The Health Directorate in Idlib has equipped three hospitals to receive suspected coronavirus cases, with four quarantine centres in Idlib, Sarmada and Kafr Takharem in Idlib countryside.

Meanwhile, the organizations are working on new projects to equip hospitals and other health centres to receive cases.

With the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, small enterprises have emerged such as producing medical disinfectants and setting up workshops for manufacturing face masks, to provide them at lower prices than imported ones, which has contributed to the creation of jobs in the light of widespread unemployment in these areas.

The areas in rural Aleppo and Idlib are suffering from a severe shortage of medical materials, masks and sterilizers, as the owners of pharmaceutical warehouses monopolize these products, in addition to medical crews, ventilators, and other necessary equipment to treat patients and infected cases.

Idlib hospitals have approximately 200 intensive care beds and 95 ventilators for adult, and are 100% fully operational for various diseases.

The health situation in rural Aleppo is relatively better than in Idlib, as a result of neglect and large population, in addition to the migration of a large number of doctors and health workers outside the country due to security cahos and poor living conditions.

The administration of “Al-Ghazwa” and “Deir Balot” crossings decided to close their doors to civilians except the military personnel, starting from Friday morning, July 17, until further notice, due to preventive measures on tackling the spread of the coronavirus.

According to SOHR statistics, since July 9 to date, the number of coronavirus cases rose to 13, including six of medical staff, including four doctors, one of whom is Turkish.