Health Directorate in North and East Syria preparing COVID-19 ward at Dayrik hospital

DAYRIK (AL-MALIKIYAH), Syria – Two weeks ago, the Health Directorate of the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) of North and East Syria began preparations for the establishment of a COVID-19 ward at Dayrik hospital, in cooperation with Un Ponte Per (UPP), an Italian humanitarian aid organization created in the aftermath of the first Iraq War in 1991.

The ward includes 40 beds, distributed among two sections: 24 beds for stable cases and 8 beds for severe cases in one section, and 8 beds with ventilators for critical cases in another section.

The ward is divided into two areas: red and yellow. Medical staff will change and sterilize their tools and clothing within the yellow area, then enter the red area in which coronavirus patients will be provided with medical care and food.

It is expected that the hospital will be fully equipped and ready in another 15 days.

Since the Health Directorate has received additional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines used in processing COVID-19 tests, the Directorate has conducted about 20 tests of potential COVID-19 cases. All of those tested were negative for COVID-19. In addition, no COVID-19 infections have been recorded in North and East Syria so far, with the noted exception of one COVID-19 death of a patient transferred to the region from territory controlled by the Syrian regime in Daramsuq (Damascus).