The cost of a night in the private hospitals of the capital, Damascus, has increased to amounts close to one million Syrian pounds in the units devoted to caring for coronavirus patients. This coincides with the Ministry of Health’s announcement that the number of people infected with the third surge of the virus is on the rise, and the isolation sections are at full capacity.
The cost of a stay in the units designated for coronavirus patients in Damascus hospitals ranges between 500,000 to one million pounds per night, bearing in mind that this is only the accommodation cost and does not include the cost of medication and other costs.
The administration of the Al-Kindi Hospital in Damascus set the cost of stay at one million pounds per night, while the cost at Al-Mahaini, Al-Fayha, and Al-Madina Hospitals is 700,000 pounds per night. It costs 500,000 pounds per night in Al-Andalus Hospital in the Kafr Sousa area, according to the information gathered by the Sowt Al-Asima correspondents.
The correspondents said that some other private hospitals have been refraining from admitting any new cases a few days ago, namely the Hisham Sinan Hospital, Dar Al-Shifa Hospital, and Al-Razi Hospital in the Mezzeh area, for the lack of vacant beds.
Medical sources in Damascus told Sowt Al-Asima that the Al-Mouwasat, Al-Mujtahid, Ibn Al-Nafees, Red Crescent, and Al-Assad University Hospitals have stopped admitting any positive cases, for they do not have any vacant beds in the coronavirus unit.
The sources added that the number of daily consultations has increased dramatically during the last two weeks, indicating that hospital administrations have issued instructions stipulating that the rotations of doctors and medical staff be increased twofold.
The sources said that some private hospitals are preparing to convert some of their departments into coronavirus units, as a result of the great pressure on hospitals, noting that the number of intensive care beds in Damascus hospitals does not exceed 130.
According to the sources, the new cases received in the capital’s hospitals included children and adolescents, unlike the first and second waves of the virus.
Doctors in Damascus described the third wave of the virus as “the most dangerous,” and more severe than the wave that reached Syria last July, warning of oxygen shortage in hospitals and clinics.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
