Moroccan Medical Personnel Have No Choice But To Isolate Themselves In Hotels

Ilustrasi photo (Engin Akyurt / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - For some people, the holy month of Ramadan is a momentum to bind togetherness between families. Unfortunately, 30 medical personnel in Morocco who are currently fighting the spread of COVID-19 must harbor the desire to be with their families. They prefer to isolate themselves in hotels as a form of concern so that their loved ones do not catch the virus from Wuhan.

If counted, it has been seven months since the medical personnel isolated themselves in the hotel. In fact, to fight COVID-19, they are willing to go back and forth every day from a five-star Dawliz hotel and the Moulay Abdellah Hospital in Sale, which is located in the capital city of Rabat.

"My father has asthma and I will never forgive myself if I take the virus home," said nurse Mustapha Zeroual.

"The last time I saw my parents was from the window 15 days ago, when I came home to get some clothes," he added.

It is even more weighty when other people can gather with their closest family, they can only spend time with simple activities among medical personnel. These activities include spending free time watching television, reading, and exercising in hotels. Even then, they still apply physical distancing rules.

Even so, they make an effort to stay connected to their families through phone calls and the occasional social media touch. However, regarding the warmth that is presented, of course, it will not be the same as meeting and letting go of missing one's family directly.

Therefore, not all medical personnel choose to stay in hotels. Some are taking the risk of staying with their families and choosing to take extra precautions. For example, as did a Doctor Meryem Bouchbik.

She, who lives with her husband and two daughters daily, can only cry while talking about the extra precautions that must be taken so that her family does not catch COVID-19. "Risk is part of our job and saving lives is a priority. However, I care more about my children, than for myself," he said.

Meanwhile, policy owners have realized that their country has fewer than a thousand doctors. On that basis, the government strives to maintain the health of medical personnel. One of them is by paying for existing hotels to accommodate medical personnel while they are fighting against COVID-19.

So far Morocco has confirmed 5,053 cases of COVID-19 transmission. Among them, 179 cases died.