{"id":62272,"date":"2020-08-28T10:00:53","date_gmt":"2020-08-28T08:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/?p=62272"},"modified":"2023-03-16T16:52:03","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T15:52:03","slug":"kosovos-covid-19-frontline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/kosovos-covid-19-frontline\/","title":{"rendered":"Kosovo\u2019s COVID-19 frontline"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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An inside view of a health service under pressure.<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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We watched it hit Italy. We watched as most of Europe went into lockdown. Then we watched as COVID-19 arrived here, in Kosovo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

And everything went fine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

We stifled the number of new cases, quarantined, traced contacts and shut ourselves away. We protected our health, protected our parents and grandparents, protected our fragile health service. We did it!<\/span><\/p>

Or so we thought…\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Five months later, and we\u2019re back at number one. But this time, for all the wrong reasons. Now, we can often be found near the <\/span>top of lists<\/span><\/a> of countries ranked by COVID-19 death rate.<\/span><\/p>

And our healthcare system, which was already a mess, is approaching breaking point.<\/span><\/p>

More than 1,200 health professionals have been <\/span>infected<\/span><\/a>, while seven doctors and five nurses are reported to have died.<\/span><\/p>

As the crisis continued to escalate in July and early August, I set out to document the COVID-19 frontlines.<\/span><\/p>


The Three Musketeers<\/b><\/p>

Raif Hasani\u2019s younger colleagues call him Haxhia. It\u2019s accurate too, as he has completed the <\/span>hadj<\/span><\/i> (pilgrimage) to Mecca in the past. He\u2019s one of three National Institute of Public Health (IKSHPK) technicians that I\u2019m embedded with for a couple of days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cOn that day, when we got the first two cases, it was Friday 13,\u201d Haxhia recalls, thinking back to the March day that the virus arrived in Kosovo. \u201cA friend called: \u2018Raif, is this a coincidence?\u2019 he joked.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Haxhia laughs at the memory, knowing well that there was nothing superstitious about it and that it was just a matter of time until Kosovo confirmed its first case. \u201cWe\u2019d been conducting PCR tests since December,\u201d he tells me.<\/span><\/p>

He\u2019s part of a team of three, who I start to think of as the Three Musketeers. There\u2019s Kastriot Maraj (<\/span>D’Artagnan) <\/span>the youngest and lead guy \u2014 in this case, the actual boss. Then Hasani (Athos) the oldest, who is protective of his younger colleague. Finally, there\u2019s Mirsad Kasumi (Porthos) dedicated and reliable, though unlike Porthos, Mirsad is shy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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It\u2019s clear that the three are a team \u2014 a task force.<\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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It\u2019s clear that the three are a team \u2014 a task force.<\/span> Haxhia praises the team leader (even though it\u2019s him who\u2019s completing his master\u2019s degree) and points to the achievement of a young guy from Istog completing Sanitary Medicine. The bond is beyond academia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

For today\u2019s field work, we\u2019re heading to the publicly owned water company, Uj\u00ebsjell\u00ebsi i Prishtin\u00ebs to carry out around 50 tests.<\/span><\/p>

Before we set out, Kastriot is careful to disinfect the whole car, and when we arrive a whole new round of disinfecting begins. It\u2019s clear that the boss knows his stuff from the way he disinfects everything. Haxhia nods his head to indicate that I should just follow his lead.<\/span><\/p>

He suits me up so I look like one of the SpaceX astronauts. It turns out this is the easy part \u2014 getting out of the suit later is a whole different procedure, as it\u2019s here that the chance of infection is high.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

He then sprays me with strong alcohol disinfectant, before repeating the same procedure with Mirsad, and finally Haxhia, who stands like a statue throughout. After so much spraying, the air carries a distinct smell of <\/span>loza<\/span><\/i> (a strong alcohol grappa made in the Balkans). They later explain that the alcohol spray was a donation from one of the wineries in Rahovec who had provided the excess from their wines and raki production.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The three IKSHPK technicians have a well-rehearsed process for carrying out the daily tests for COVID-19.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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As we enter the facility, Kastriot notices a couple of old guys not wearing masks, and scolds them like a dad, telling them to put their masks on \u2014 they do.<\/span><\/p>

Inside, they again disinfect the hell out of everything, before they get to work conducting their tests.<\/span><\/p>

The workers seem to get a weird feeling seeing the arrival of the Three Musketeers (or is it four now, with me as Aramis?). But <\/span>the leading characters have their system by now. After all, they\u2019ve been doing this for months.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The procedure is a relatively simple one \u2014 a long swab is inserted into one of the nostrils and eased slowly through it to the back of the throat. After a few seconds of rotating it around a bit, they carefully withdraw the swab, place it into a sterile container and record it.<\/span><\/p>

Then, repeat.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"The
The PCR test requires a long swab to be gently inserted to the back of the throat.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Some of those being tested are uncertain when they see the technicians in their full protective suits.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The testing process can feel a little uncomfortable.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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The IKSHPK technicians are scrupulous about disinfecting everything they come into contact with.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Strong alcohol spray is used to thoroughly clean sites upon arrival and departure.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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After about an hour, they\u2019ve completed all the tests at the water company and we take them to be analysed back at the Institute. It\u2019s here that they\u2019ll continue their shift, testing suspected cases.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

There are plenty of them to test. It\u2019s just been <\/span>revealed<\/span><\/a> that in the past two weeks, Kosovo has had more new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population than any other country in Europe.<\/span><\/p>

Over a quick coffee break we get a better chance to talk, though Mirsad has his tea and heads off to finish up some other work. He seems to be one of those guys who doesn\u2019t like to leave things until their deadlines; he\u2019d rather just get them done.<\/span><\/p>

As we watch doctors moving in and out of a nearby bar on their 5 minute breaks, I ask Kastriot about the hardest thing they\u2019ve faced so far. <\/span>\u201cWe were heroes for a few months,\u201d<\/span> he replies. <\/span>\u201cThen later we got called incompetent<\/span> or [criticized] for not delivering on time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cWe were heroes <\/strong><\/h1>

for a few months, <\/strong><\/h1>

then later <\/strong><\/h1>

we got called incompetent.\u201d<\/strong><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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He\u2019s a strongly built guy, blonde with big blue eyes. Half hiding beneath his sleeves are tattoos, hinting at being one of Istog\u2019s cool guys.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

As we talk, he tells me that his dad was a professor of chemistry and physics. His brother used his brain to emigrate to Sweden, but Kastriot wanted to use the scientific knowledge he picked up from his dad to be one of the proud doctors or nurses in Kosovo.<\/span><\/p>

As I try to ask him more personal questions, he deflects, giving me medical explanations that I have heard before and am not really interested in right now. His professionalism is hard to penetrate; to him, this is his job, his responsibility. He doesn\u2019t seek any glory.<\/span><\/p>

But I\u2019m interested in his story; a guy who we valued as a hero just months before but who became caught up in the anger of the population as the political situation changed. I ask him about the first day \u2014 he doesn\u2019t remember, his days have blurred and become one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Then I ask him about his family and his kids.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

It\u2019s now that his big blue eyes turn red. It\u2019s subtle, something I\u2019ve seen before in blondes, especially when they\u2019re tired or have had too much to drink \u2014 but this was different. <\/span>I realize he\u2019s holding back tears.<\/span><\/p>

He explains that <\/span>he\u2019s not been able to be with his newborn daughter for months<\/span>, just coming near the window and saying hi. No touching, whatsoever. Not able to hold her in his arms. Why? Because her dad is on the frontline of a global pandemic\u2026 the guy is exposed.<\/span><\/p>

That\u2019s when he realizes how serious it is. And he can\u2019t hold it in.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Kastriot Maraj (D\u2019Artagnan) gets little chance to rest or reflect as he leads a team carrying out hundreds of tests a day. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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We meet again a couple of days later. There has been a positive case in the old peoples\u2019 home in Prishtina.<\/span><\/p>

I meet them at 14:30, having gotten my sleep in. But they\u2019ve been on the frontlines since 7 a.m. sharp, and tell me they\u2019ve already carried out 200 tests. They\u2019re about to do 140 more.<\/span><\/p>

They\u2019ve been in this place plenty of times before, carrying out various tests required of the National Institute of Public Health, so they already know some of the residents \u2014 those who are still alive.<\/span><\/p>

Kastriot reminds me of my mother as he turns into my boss for the day: \u201cAtdhe, we\u2019re gonna really gear you up this time, big time\u2026\u201d He takes control. Haxhia waits for his instructions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

I\u2019m suited up like normal, but they give me double gloves \u2014 taking extra care of me.<\/span><\/p>

First, they test the staff, before heading to the residents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Most of them are very old and I feel like many are just waiting for their god to take them. They\u2019re of mixed ethnicities; Albanians, Serbs, Croats or a combination \u2014 but all left with nobody but the state to look after them in their old age. <\/span>Some have found a partner in the home, out of convenience or love. Who am I to judge?<\/span> They\u2019re older than me.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Some have found a partner in the home, out of convenience or love. Who am I to judge? <\/strong><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The facility has three floors, so Kastriot ensures there\u2019s a testing station on each level. They come one by one for their tests. Then we go room to room to test those that can\u2019t get out of bed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

About three hours later, they\u2019ve managed to test everyone, and I\u2019ve got my images.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

We leave the premises and carefully get out of our protective suits. I offer to get the guys a coffee, but they thank me with a smile and tell me, \u201cNo, you go and enjoy your coffee \u2014 we have more tests to conduct today.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Three days later, I find out that 31 of the elderly residents and nine workers had <\/span>tested positive<\/span><\/a> for COVID-19.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Some
Some of the residents in Prishtina\u2019s old people\u2019s home are scared and confused when the IKSHPK technicians arrive.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Testing
Testing stations are set up on each floor to test all residents and staff.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Residents
Residents often have questions for the technicians about the latest tests required.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Thirty-one
Thirty-one of the residents and nine staff will ultimately test positive for COVID-19 that day. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nursing
Nursing staff help those residents who require assistance to reach the temporary testing station.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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An ongoing emergency<\/b><\/p>

I visit the microbiologists at the institute. They spend their days in the lab, carrying out the analysis of all the COVID-19 tests.<\/span><\/p>

Zana Ka\u00e7aniku-Deva has worked at IKSHPK since 2016, but the nature of the job has changed in recent months and it now has a new rhythm.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cMy days have been the same since February or longer \u2014 they\u2019re the same,\u201d she tells me. \u201cI wake up to calls from doctors, asking me about the results of their cases, those for deceased people [who have died before they received their result] or for those in grave conditions \u2014 and they ask for them urgently.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Just like the technicians in the field, they have their systems set up as they\u2019ve been doing this almost non-stop since the turn of the year. The samples pass through a number of rooms, pieces of equipment and staff members\u2019 hands before the results are known.<\/span><\/p>

To begin with, Zana was one of just two microbiologists in the team \u2014 working alongside the technicians and other staff \u2014 but now there are five. She says this is more manageable, especially since the cases have been on the rise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Zana tells me there are always emergencies with certain cases that need to be processed extra quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThe day never ends, even though we have our daily plan,\u201d she says. \u201cBut with the situation as it is \u2014 <\/span>it\u2019s an emergency, we get it. And we keep it up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Around 400 samples per day have been tested in the IKSHPK labs for months. This capacity has recently been boosted to around 500 daily samples by private testing facilities.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Zana\u2019s a mother of two, and I ask if her daughters see their mom as a heroine, working extra shifts to do her part in trying to deal with the COVID-19 situation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThank God they are adolescents, both of them \u2014 they are skiing competitors,\u201d she says, before flipping my question on its head. \u201cThey are my heroines,\u201d she says, and tells me that her younger daughter had achieved first place in a race earlier in the year.<\/span><\/p>

I ask her about her toughest day over all these months. \u201cToo many days,\u201d she says, before turning to her colleague, Blerim, who she\u2019s on duty with today. \u201cWhich day, ah?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cIt\u2019s an emergency, we get it. And we keep it up.\u201d<\/strong><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Then she finds the closest one she can recall. It was a week earlier, when <\/span>five people had died<\/span><\/a> at the clinic after the oxygen malfunctioned.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIt was tough. We thought about our kids, parents, the overall population, also keeping in mind that our health system has a lot of flaws,\u201d she says, explaining that it caused a lot of doubts and questions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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In early July, five patients died after their oxygen supply malfunctioned. Officials have since sought to reassure citizens and to source additional resources from abroad. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cCan we keep our professionalism up? Can we serve everyone? How is it going to play out?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

Once we get outside the lab, Zana takes off her mask and visor, and I see who I\u2019ve been talking to for the first time. Her hair is short and blonde (practical for her job) and it has been flattened by her protective equipment; her eyes look tired with dark rings beneath them after months of stress.\u00a0<\/p>

She has stains and sweat on her face, just like in the images of doctors that we saw coming from Italy\u00a0in the early days of the pandemic back in February, but she still wants to look beautiful and proud.<\/p>

The situation in Italy seems to be getting better, for now. Its cases were way higher than those in the Balkans to begin with, but cases across the region \u2014 and Kosovo in particular \u2014 are now on the rise and the deaths per capita numbers are climbing.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Medical staff at QKUK\u2019s Infectious Diseases Clinic use the outdoor corridors to move between rooms to reduce the risk of infection.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Into the inferno<\/b><\/p>

At the start of August, I receive permission to enter the Infectious Diseases Clinic. This is where shit really gets real.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In the time I\u2019ve been waiting for the clearance, the death toll has kept going up. In the past few days, we\u2019ve regularly seen more than 10 per day and there\u2019s a sense that the situation is deteriorating day by day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

I call the clinic\u2019s director and head epidemiologist Dr. Lindita Ajazaj. She tells me to suit up and come up to Section B. I follow her instructions.<\/span><\/p>

Dr. Lindita is in the middle of a 24 hour shift. I find her in an outside stairwell and without ceremony she immediately tells me to follow her. She\u2019s conducting her routine check ups.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

We\u2019re on the first floor of the clinic\u2019s three-floor wards, walking around the balconies that connect the rooms so, as much as possible, we can stay outside where the air flows. I see a lot of family members waiting on the balconies outside the rooms, understandably staying close to their loved ones.<\/span><\/p>

Like the doctors, I\u2019m again in my NASA suit. The doctor takes care to make sure my mask is on properly before we enter the first room.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Inside, there are two older guys, who I ask permission to take their portraits. \u201cGo ahead, shoot \u2014 we\u2019re survivors,\u201d they laugh. Both are connected to oxygen masks and they\u2019re clearly not in the best of conditions, but their spirits are up, feeling good that at least somebody is looking after them.<\/span><\/p>

But this isn\u2019t the case in the other rooms. As we continue, it just keeps getting worse.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Some patients are full of respect for the medical staff, knowing that they are depending on them.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In every room you hear the sound of machines beeping, measuring heartbeats and blood pressure, as well as oxygen bottles for each patient that\u2019s panting as though they\u2019ve been running or are exhausted.<\/span><\/p>

Some patients are very cooperative with the medical staff, knowing their fate is in their hands. <\/span>Others are more agitated, wanting more attention \u2014 they\u2019re clearly in pain.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"There
There are still no known treatments for COVID-19, but oxygen is provided to those who are struggling to breathe.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Dr.
Dr. Linidita (center) discusses care options with other medical staff.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"When
When COVID-19 patients have other underlying health conditions, Dr. Lindita consults other specialists for their expert advice.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Doctors
Doctors try other solutions to help ease the pain when oxygen therapy isn\u2019t enough.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"The
The sounds of all the machines and patients struggling to breathe only intensifies as we walk around the COVID-19 rooms.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Family
Family members are often reluctant to leave their loved one\u2019s side, even though they are not permitted inside the rooms.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Medical
Medical staff conduct regular rounds of the wards to check on patients\u2019 vitals.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"There
There is little that patients can do but rely on the medical staff around them.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nurses
Nurses adjust the levels of pain relief administered according to instructions from the doctors.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Each
Each room in the Infectious Diseases Clinic brings the sight of more pain.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Even
Even as the day turns to night, some family members refuse to leave.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Patients
Patients try to get some rest as they make it through another day.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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I speak briefly with a young medic who\u2019s standing in the balcony doorway keeping a record of patients\u2019 vitals, including their oxygen saturation levels. He tells me he\u2019s into the 13th hour of his shift.<\/span><\/p>

We go from room to room, working our way through the building, from the first floor to the second, then the third. Everywhere, it\u2019s the same sight. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Medical staff are working long shifts in exhausting conditions to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Some patients are sleeping, others are awake. I can\u2019t help but notice that in some rooms family members are in tears over their loved ones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The patients are from all generations; old and young. But one thing that the vast majority have in common is that they\u2019re hooked up to oxygen bottles. <\/span>This place reminds me more and more of some living hell.<\/span><\/p>

And the clinic is almost full \u2014 <\/span>I see just a handful of empty beds and wonder how many of them had been vacated by patients who hadn\u2019t made it through the night.<\/span> The daily briefing had told us <\/span>13 COVID-19 patients had succumbed in the past 24 hours<\/span>; another seven deaths would be announced today.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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I only see a handful of empty beds in the whole clinic, and each one fills me with an uneasy feeling that its previous inhabitant may not have survived. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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We reach the last room of Section B, up on the third floor \u2014 the last stage of the inferno, or so I thought.<\/span><\/p>

I\u2019ve been in the clinic for 3 hours and I\u2019m already feeling tired, especially as I\u2019m not used to working in these protective suits, and I\u2019m struggling to see much when I take my photos as the face shield fills up with condensation. I can only imagine what the doctors and other medical staff must experience, being in those suits for sometimes up to 24 hours at a time.<\/span><\/p>

As I\u2019m getting out of my protective suit and thanking Dr. Lindita for letting me in to document the situation, she smiles at me and signs off in her no-nonsense, military tone that leaves no room for misinterpretation.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cHave a good night, Atdhe,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019re heading to intensive care.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Dr. Lindita Ajazaj has become familiar with working long hours surrounded by suffering.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Editor\u2019s note: Photographs were all taken with the permission of those in them or with the permission of family members who were present when this was not possible.<\/b><\/p>

This article is part of the Human Rightivism project, which is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), implemented by Community Development Fund through its Human Rightivism Program. The author\u2019s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An inside view of a health service under pressure. We watched it hit Italy. We watched as most of Europe…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":54561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,972],"tags":[898,367,1385],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62272"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62272"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62272\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66651,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62272\/revisions\/66651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}