Kane Williamson will captain the T20 World Cup squad for a fourth time as New Zealand hunt for a maiden title
cricket4 hours ago
As Israeli doctors confront a surge in coronavirus cases, with some patients waiting for hours in ambulances, one hospital is tackling the crisis by transforming its car park into a ward.
Wearing a white face mask and gown, Michael Halberthal expressed his frustration that his hospital in the northern city of Haifa has been pushed to take such a dramatic step.
"(It's) extremely unfortunate that we have to get to this position," said Halberthal, general director of the Rambam Health Care Campus.
Just days after management approved the decision, the underground car park has become a ward, complete with beds and wheelchairs.
The words "Underground Emergency Hospital" greet arrivals, set to be among those rejected by a string of hospitals that have seen their coronavirus wards hit capacity since the government imposed the country's latest nationwide lockdown on Friday.
The car park can withstand war, having been earmarked as a possible shelter after Israel's 2006 conflict with the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
"Now we understand that this is a strategic facility of Israel and we can use it for other solutions," said Halberthal, as workers raced around installing medical equipment.
Parking spaces have been converted into patient bays, while different sections have been painted in bright colours.
The new ward will be ready to open on Thursday, according to hospital officials, and can accommodate 770 coronavirus patients.
For Khetam Hussein, Rambam's head of infection control, the latest lockdown -- Israel's second since the start of the pandemic -- came too late.
"And it has to be more strict," she said at her desk, wearing blue hospital scrubs and a face mask. "We are seeing a rise in severe cases."
Israel has the world's highest coronavirus infection rate as a proportion of its population, according to an AFP tally of the past fortnight, and on Wednesday the health ministry announced nearly 7,000 positive cases over 24 hours.
The country has recorded more than 200,000 cases since the pandemic hit, with 1,317 deaths.
Israel's second wave of cases has hit particularly hard in the country's north, home to much of the Arab minority that makes up around 20 percent of the population.
"All the Israeli hospitals are very crowded and some of these hospitals reached 100 per cent capacity," said Hussein.
Kane Williamson will captain the T20 World Cup squad for a fourth time as New Zealand hunt for a maiden title
cricket4 hours ago
Vehicle owners must bring their old plates along to the inspection station
uae4 hours ago
Clean sweep for UAE in golf as the hosts win team gold and Rayan claims individual title
sports5 hours ago
Silva announced his farewell on Monday in an emotional video message on Chelsea's website
football5 hours ago
Protest organizers deny accusations of anti-Semitism, arguing that their actions are aimed at the Israeli government
world5 hours ago
Images published on the weekend showed Bollywood superstar actor Shah Rukh Khan sweating profusely while watching his team train
cricket5 hours ago