Scaling-up Preparedness and Health Response for COVID-19 in Northwest Syria. Countries should prepare to respond to different public health scenarios, recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing cases and outbreaks of COVID-19, therefore SEMA by implementing this project will screen and triage patients and introduce the needed care for all suspected and confirmed patients according to disease severity and acute care needs.
The project aims to raise the preparedness and to avoid the delay or lack of appropriate and timely response to COVID-19 spread, through preparing an isolation/intensive care center in Idleb governorate (Idleb sub-district) to receive the confirmed or suspected cases.
SEMA, through the support and partnership with SCHF, will provide the aforementioned center with the needed equipment including but not limited to (ICU beds, CBC apparatus, Biosystem Apparatus, Electrolytes Apparatus, ABG Apparatus, X-Ray Machine) where the center will have the capacity to receive people in need for case management services either through preparation of the center and developing the triage procedures or by promoting isolation of people with mild respiratory symptoms to reduce the burden on health system.
The aforementioned supply chain Items, will be complementary to what SEMA has provided previously SEMA has secured 40 hospitalization beds to be in place, and 5 ventilators, and will assure the capacity by filling the gap through SCHF proposed project (SEMA has the resources to purchase 5 additional ventilators, complementary to 10 ICU beds secured through this project.
The center will have the capacity to receive 60 patients through the 60 available beds, in addition to 10 ICU beds and 10 ventilators, where 3 ICU specialists, 6 General Doctors, and 3 ICU Technicians and 29 nurses will be hired to work in the center, taking into consideration the ability to raise this capacity if situation becomes worse. SEMA has communicated with TF and Idleb health directorate to add the proposed hospital to the plan and map of services in Idleb governorate.
Also, through this project SEMA will secure one oxygen station and oxygen cylinders compressor, where the two devices were recommended by Idlib Health Directorate and WHO health cluster Gaziantep hub. These two devices will support patients with respiratory complications to get healed, where providing oxygenation for these patients has a vital role in their survival.
During the project period the staff will be trained on the following topics: Basic Life Support (BLS), Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in addition to the Case Management of the suspected or infected cases, and they will be provided with personal protection equipment (PPE) including masks, gloves eye-shield and gowns.
Furthermore, SEMA, in coincidence with procurement process which includes securing the equipment, medication and consumable, will conduct the required rehabilitation for the center in addition to finalizing the recruitment of the staff, taking into consideration activating emergency procurement thresholds, to decrease the period needed to launch the activities fully, with commitment to start the implementation with available resources (provided by SEMA), and run fully after accomplishing all procurement.
Meanwhile, SEMA has managed to initiate on CBI center in Kafartakharim earlier of April, the center has been equipped and get into active service as one of referral centers in NWS in coordination with TF and IHD. This center will be fully supported by SEMA other resources, with capacity of 20 isolation beds, and 5 ICU beds with ventilators, and has been provided with medication and consumables and PPE  which will be enough for one active month, SEMA through this project will propose to support Kafartakharim hospital with sufficient amounts of PPE to fill the gab after one month of the outbreak.
Finally, SEMA is committed for conducting telemedicine by advisors outside Syria through the whole project period.