An Israeli Arab doctor leads the battle against the Corona virus in a Haifa hospital.
Hardly, the official of the "Coffid-19" fighting department at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Dr. Khatam Hussein, heard herself on hearing on the phone the sighs of her daughter (Hala), whom she rarely saw recently, as she spends most of her time among her patients in the battle against the emerging coronavirus.
"I worked continuously for a whole month, seven days a week, every shift 12 hours, the situation is abnormal, and the work is abnormal, our lives are turned upside down," says Khatam Hussein, 44.
She adds that the first department in the hospital was equipped to receive injuries with "Corona", at the end of February, and then a second section, adding: "We increased the number of doctors in the department, and 21 doctors from the Department of Internal Medicine, and intensive care, and large numbers of nurses worked with me." And medical workers, "she added," It was a crazy period. The work is very difficult. There is no day like the other day. " Israel has recorded more than 15,000 HIV infections, including more than 200 deaths.
Hussein is married and mother of two girls (Tala - 10 years) and (Hala - eight years). She says with a hoarse voice of sadness: “When my daughter (Hala) called and cried and asked me when I would return home, I was afraid of the collapse for a while, but I resumed my work. I have very great responsibilities and a sick life I am responsible for.”
farewell
She concludes the story of an elderly couple who arrived at the hospital infected with the virus. ».
The doctor misses the conclusion of Hussein and her mother, who has not met her for more than a month and a half, and says: "I miss my mother a lot, but I cannot visit my family, I follow the instructions of the Ministry of Health, I know that I am not sick but out of concern for them."
Rambam Hospital is the largest hospital in the north, and provides services to about two million citizens.
The famous Israeli artist, Ahi Nouam, and artist Gail Dor, performed an online party from their homes, aimed at collecting donations for Rambam Hospital. "This hospital proves to coexist," Noam said in the Hebrew language in a video circulated on social media.
Commenting on the efforts made by Arab and Israeli medical personnel, the leader of the Yesh Atid party (There is a Future) said last week: “Arab doctors and Arab nurses who have not had eyelids for weeks, I tell you this government will not change the law of nationalism”, in A reference to the law passed in 2018, which defines Israel as "a nation-state for the Jewish people." The opposition and Israeli Arabs considered the law "discriminatory."
Longing
As for the conclusion of Hussein, she goes on doing her work, driven by her professional conscience, without distinguishing between the patients. She says: “We are trying to make all patients return to their homes safely.”
She was born in the town of Al-Ramah, northeast of the city of Acre. She lives in the city of Carmiel in Galilee. Her husband is a lawyer and looks after her two daughters in her absence.
And she says with emotion: "Their life system has changed by my continuous absence from them. They miss me and they miss me, and I cannot describe the extent of my yearning for them."