A doctor in an earthquake-stricken area of northern Syria on Monday described the hospital where he works as looking like it was in a war zone.
Doctor Osama Salloum of the Syrian American Medical Society works in Bab Al-Hawa Hospital, which received more than 400 injured people, and reported more than 50 deaths, due to the strong earthquake that struck the country.
In an interview with the British “Sky News” network, Salloum said: “Most of the injured who arrived at the hospital were children who were bleeding and cold following staying for hours under the rubble of the destroyed buildings as a result of the earthquake.”
Among the most prominent things that came in Salloum’s interview with “Sky News” regarding his recent experience:
- Low temperatures make the tasks of rescue teams difficult, and threaten the lives of those trapped under the rubble.
- We receive more patients every hour, and the hospital is overcrowded with patients filling its corridors.
- There is a huge shortage of doctors and equipment in the hospital, and all the wards are occupied by patients, especially women and children.
- All beds are occupied and the injured have to lie on the floor.
- Not a moment goes by without the sound of ambulances bringing in more injured people.
- The chances of saving people injured in the earthquake are getting smaller by the hour.
- There is a great need for CT scans of the injured, but there is only one machine in the hospital.
- We are gradually losing hope in saving children due to the great need for consumables and medicines that will run out in the coming hours.
call for help
The Secretary-General of the Syrian Red Crescent, Khaled Ircouss, confirmed in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”, on Monday, that there is a severe shortage of medicines and fuel needed to operate hospitals in light of the disaster of the earthquake that struck the country.
The following are the highlights of Iraksous’ interview with “Sky News Arabia”:
- A large number of injured people have been taken to hospitals.
- Red Crescent teams are still working to recover bodies from under the rubble.
- We suffer from a great shortage of equipment for such operations, especially those used to remove rubble.
- I call on Arab countries to take the initiative to help those affected by the earthquake.
- We see injured people under the rubble, but we can’t reach them because of the lack of equipment.
- We also have a shortage of fuel to operate the Red Crescent vehicles used in rescue operations.
- Many are left in the open following their homes were destroyed or became unsafe to live in due to cracks caused by the earthquake.
- We urgently need assistance from international organizations inside and outside Syria, including technical support and mechanisms.
- Hospitals in Aleppo and Latakia are full of injured people, and we are transferring the wounded to nearby hospitals in Banias and Homs.
- It is necessary to secure shelters urgently, and to provide supplies such as blankets and others to keep warm in cold weather.
The Syrian Ministry of Health had announced that the death toll from the earthquake had risen to 711 deaths, and 1431 injuries in Latakia, Aleppo, Hama and Tartous, in an indefinite toll, according to the Syrian news agency “SANA”.
Sources stated that the total number of earthquake victims across Syria reached 1,440.
On Monday, Syria appealed to the international community to “extend a helping hand” to support it following the devastating earthquake that struck the country.
The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “Syria appeals to the member states of the United Nations, the General Secretariat of the organization, its agencies and specialized funds, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other humanitarian action partners from international, governmental and non-governmental organizations, to extend a helping hand and support the efforts made by the Syrian government in facing a disaster.” devastating earthquake.”
