Covid-19: Israeli hospital lets families bid farewell to dying patients

Israel’s Ichilov hospital has begun allowing relatives wearing protective gear to say goodbye to loved ones dying of the novel coronavirus and is calling on other hospitals to follow its example.

“The stories of patients dying alone are horrifying to me as a human being and as a manager,” the central Tel Aviv hospital’s CEO, Roni Gamzu, in a statement released on Sunday, said.

Gamzu said that health systems were too inflexible.

“We at Ichilov have formulated guidelines, effective immediately, which will allow family members, wearing full protective gear supplied by the hospital, to say farewell to their loved ones.

“This is our moral duty as medical staff and as human beings. I believe that the rest of the world will follow our example, as it should,’’ he said.

The Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre (Ichilov) said it was “the first hospital in the world to allow families of coronavirus patients to say farewell to their dying loved ones in person.”

Over 8,000 people have been tested positive for Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, in Israel, with 127 in serious condition, of whom 106 are being ventilated.

Forty-six have died, while 477 recovered and been discharged.

Other hospitals in Israel have begun looking for creative ways to allow relatives to part from dying coronavirus patients. (NAN)