The country’s first coronavirus intensive care unit for children has opened at Hadassah-University Medical Center in Ein Kerem.
“These are babies, whose parents or some other family members are also ill,” explained the unit’s head nurse Sonia Sharaby. “The parents can come here, but they are torn between caring for other children at home and staying here in the unit, next to their babies.”
On Friday morning, the unit, which is located next to the regular pediatric unit but completely isolated, already had four children being treated - babies who were in most cases intubated and anesthetized.
Three of the children were considered in serious condition, and two of them had severe and chronic underlying medical conditions before contracting coronavirus.
“These babies need a hug, a touch,” said Sharaby. “When there is no parent next to them, it is very difficult to think about how they are coping.”
She said the staff, although dressed in their white personal protective uniforms and working long, cumbersome hours, tries to fill the void. Some of the staff members who are assigned to the unit also work in adult coronavirus units or are specialists who usually treat children with other serious illnesses.
“I just completed a video call with the family of the six-week-old baby,” Sharaby explained. “All of his six siblings watched him and said how cute and sweet their brother is. It was heartbreaking.”