The country, which on October 18 had 626 deaths and 40,542 cases, saw its hospitals nearly saturated, and young doctors were often at the forefront of emergencies.
as reported from Tunis Lilia blaise
One Sunday morning near the emergency department of Rabta Hospital in Tunis, a young doctor who wishes to remain anonymous is preparing to take care of her duty. She says that inside, it is a daily challenge to cope with the influx of patients suspected of having Covid-19. Amateur videos of his ward showing patients sleeping on makeshift beds created a stir on social media.
“For 24 hours in service, we get an overcoat, an overcoat not a clothes and an FFP2 mask. Among the other problems, emergencies are not adequately equipped and we do not have enough equipment. ”
These problems reveal failures in the public health system of Tunisia, in crisis for years, according to Jed Henchiri, president of the Tunisian organization of young doctors. “This problem does not concern a single hospital, it is not new. Certainly due to the Covid crisis, the capacity of staff, human resources and infrastructure cannot withstand this situation. But we talked about these issues before, and now public opinion is listening to us more. So we would like to hear our voice to reveal the public health difficulties in Tunisia. ”
Faced with this cry from alarm from the medical profession, the government promised to strengthen the capacity of hospitals. According to the report from the Ministry of Health on October 14, nearly 700 patients were admitted to the hospital and 149 in intensive care, but beds are sorely lacking in inner regions … as well as ventilators.
► Also read: Covid-19: so far exemplary Tunisia sinks in health crisis
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