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Encouraged by her doctors, Alye Gunduz, 93, was released from an Istanbul hospital after recovering from the new coronavirus after 10 days of treatment.
Her recovery from the disease, which is mostly killing the elderly, offered health workers at Istanbul’s Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty hospital some hope as they fight the outbreak.
“It is promising because patients at this age and with chronic diseases cannot recover most of the time because they have the highest risk of COVID-19,” said chief physician Zekayi Kutlubay. AFP.
“A 93-year-old woman who abandons the sound of intensive care and is safe is inspiring to us and to other coronavirus patients at her age.”
Suffering from hypertension, Gunduz, a farmer from the town of Batman in southeastern Turkey, was rushed to the hospital on March 31 with complaints of high fever and stomach pain. She was released on Friday.
“I wish a speedy recovery for everyone,” said the old woman as her grandson helped her.
Read more: Latest updates on coronavirus
Turkey has registered more than 47,000 cases of COVID-19, ranking it among the 10 most infected countries in the world. It has registered more than a thousand deaths and the disease is spreading rapidly.
‘Battlefield’
Facing an increasing number of cases every day, Turkish health workers have been working around the clock to treat patients.
A doctor has passed away and more than 600 health workers have been infected so far.
“They all work hard as if they were at war,” said Nuri Aydin, rector of the Cerrahpasa School of Medicine at Istanbul University. AFP at the hospital.
“The atmosphere here is as if it were not a workplace but a battlefield.”
Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city of approximately 15 million people, has become the country’s epicenter of the virus with more than 60 percent of cases nationwide.
The Cerrahpasa School of Medicine has responded quickly since the outbreak in mid-March, turning its operating rooms into intensive care units and creating special sections of COVID-19, separating ordinary patients from others infected with the deadly disease.
Doctors are currently treating 210 patients with another 30 in intensive care. A building has been assigned to treat only medical workers.
Staying ‘hopeful’
Isolated from their own families, some of the health workers stay in dorms or hotels to avoid passing the disease on to loved ones.
“It is difficult to express in words. They are making a superhuman effort,” said Aydin.
“The service provided by health workers is priceless. They serve humanity.”
Furkan Kurt, a 28-year associate doctor, has been away from his parents for four weeks while living in a rented apartment.
“We are taking all protective measures, but there is no guarantee that we will not become infected,” he said.
“The only hope we have are the beautiful days we will see. Having hope: there is nothing else we can do.”
After being diagnosed with COVID-19, some patients are trapped without preparation without their mobile phones or other personal belongings.
“On Saturday (when) I was on call, we received a patient in the emergency service. He had nothing, no slippers or pajamas. We addressed his needs and delivered our phones if necessary,” said Chief Nurse Merve Pirecioglu.
“When they first hear the diagnosis, patients are naturally panicking. We advise them that there is nothing to fear. With healthy nutrition and morale, as well as isolation rules, you can overcome it.”
‘More motivated’
Omer Faruk Bilici, 34, a practitioner at another hospital, who contracted the coronavirus, was released from Cerrahpasa after 20 days of treatment, including in intensive care.
“I know what it’s like to be locked in a six-square-meter room,” he said. AFP.
“This scared my other colleagues who are at risk like me. I haven’t seen anyone’s face in 20 days.”
Bilici hopes to resume her duties as soon as her quarantine period at home ends.
“I can’t wait to get back on the field,” he said.
In Cerrahpasa, more than 70 health workers are infected with the coronavirus.
“We have forgotten ourselves, we are working day and night for the recovery of our patients,” said associate professor Ilker Inanc Balkan.
“With each recovered patient, we are more motivated.”
Despite the pressure they are under, his colleagues at Chief Medical Officer Kutlubay threw him a 50-year surprise party, respecting the rules of social distancing.
Without blowing out the candles on the cake, Kutlubay, wearing a face mask, said, “So be it now, but I hope it will change next year.”
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