He’s an exhausted, helpless hospital director who goes out to make a phone call in the summer heat and collapses. He can’t hold back his tears anymore. His public hospital in the town of Mateur, near Bizerte in northern Tunisia, has run out of oxygen. And the situation will get worse. For an hour, no more patient will be able to be fed. A truck full of oxygen cylinders finally arrives and a dozen residents rush to collect it. The hospital has only 40 beds, 32 are occupied by patients with Covid-19.
The director of the local public hospital of Mateur (NW of #Tunisia) is literally crying. They’re running out of oxygen. There is a nationwide shortage of medical oxygen. The reserves of many hospitals can barely cover the next hours. pic.twitter.com/bnplRg6Fme
— Mohamed-Dhia Hammami – Mohamed Dhia Hammami (@MedDhiaH) July 18, 2021
This video is representative of what is happening nationally. The situation is catastrophic. The country’s oxygen consumption has, for example, been multiplied by nearly 10, going from 25,000 liters in normal times to 230,000 liters per day. Other doctors warn: “It’s like we have a time bomb. All the patients are going to die, but we can’t tell them.”
Dr. Bounawara from the hospital of Moknine (coastal #Tunisia) in tears : “The situation is catastrophic! I can’t handle it anymore. The reserves of oxygen can only cover the next hour. As if we have a time bomb, and all the patients die, but we can’t tell them about it.” pic.twitter.com/MFGExnV67m
— Mohamed-Dhia Hammami – Mohamed Dhia Hammami (@MedDhiaH) July 19, 2021
150 to 200 people die every day. The authorities announced Monday that they were opening the vaccination for all, exceptionally Tuesday and Wednesday. The Tunisians celebrate during these two days a religious festival and find themselves in family, the opportunity to go to be vaccinated together. For the moment, for lack of dose, only 6 to 8% of the population is fully vaccinated. Tunisia currently has two vaccines: Sinopharm and AstraZeneca. She has received millions of doses with much delay in recent days, hence this opening to everyone over 18 for 48 hours.
Overwhelmed by the new cases of Covid-19, Tunisia needs everything: money, equipment, doses, oxygen. She notably called on the Tunisians of France to mobilize. Associations, business leaders, anonymous, many have made a donation. Politicians and TV stars have posted videos on the Facebook account of the Tunisian Embassy in France to call for help. The former Minister of Culture, Frédéric Mitterrand, the Tunisian Minister of Trade, an official in Paris hospitals, or even the Tunisian star actress Rim Riahi.
Much like neighboring Morocco, France recently sent oxygen, doses of vaccine and promised more medical supplies in the coming days. Paris classified Tunisia in the red zone last week, that is to say that we cannot go there, except for compelling reasons.
Support and friendship for the Tunisian people hard hit by the pandemic. There is an urgent need to act. We just brought in oxygen. Medical equipment will follow in the coming days. France will always be at the rendezvous of solidarity.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 17, 2021
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