Israeli Doctor In Italy: We No Longer Allow Those Over 60 Access To Respiratory Machines

Italy suffered more coronavirus-related victims than China with 10,779 confirmed deaths and 97,689 confirmed patients.

Israeli doctor Gai Peleg, who is currently working to save lives in Parma, Italy, told Channel 12 that things are only getting worse as the number of patients keeps growing.

As his department receives coronavirus patients who are terminally ill the focus is to allow patients to meet loved ones and communicate with them during their last moments despite the quarantine regulations. Other reports claim that, as the numbers of dead increases, some families find themselves unable to secure a proper burial for their loved ones.

Peleg said that, from what he sees and hears in the hospital, the instructions are not to offer access to artificial respiratory machines to patients over 60 as such machines are limited in number.

Israel is currently purchasing thousands of respiratory machines, and they are meant to arrive in the country by mid-May. On Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is using every means it has to secure medical equipment to help patients during the pandemic. 

He added that all health services in the world face shortages due to the rapid and unexpected nature of COVID-19.