Damascus, Nov. 18, (dpa/GNA) – Human rights organizations have warned against the spread of coronavirus in Syria.
According to official government figures, 6,700 people have been infected in the war-torn country.
However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warned that based on reports obtained from “reliable medical sources in regime-controlled areas,” the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has reached some 60,100 – nearly ten times the official government figure.
According to that information, a total of 17,250 people recovered and 3,220 died. The cases were distributed across all Syrian provinces. However, most of the deaths and infections have been in Aleppo, Damascus and Rif Dimashq.
After more than nine years of civil war, health care in Syria is very poor.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only about half of all hospitals are fully functional. One quarter of the hospitals suffer from a lack of staff, equipment or medicine.
Also, very little testing is carried out for coronavirus in Syria – another reason why there are fears that the number of infections is significantly higher than the government’s information suggests.
According to Amnesty International, public hospitals have been forced to turn patients away due to a lack of beds, oxygen tanks and ventilators. In desperation, some residents have been forced to rent oxygen tanks and ventilators at exorbitant fees.
“Thousands of lives, including those of health workers, continue to be at risk with no transparent and effective information, or testing,” the organization asserted in a statement.
GNA