On the territory of a former building owned by “Polymex”, which has been converted into a hospital, tents are being installed in order to admit patients.
The number of patients is increasing, which explains a shortage of beds in infectious diseases in-patient facilities and other hospitals of Ashgabat. The majority of patients who get admitted are diagnosed with pneumonia.
According to correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan”, most patients recover. It should be emphasized that they have to purchase almost all medications at their own expense.
Journalists of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” tried to find out how many people die of pneumonia on a daily basis and interviewed imams and the elders who participated in the funerals and commemoration ceremonies as well as women who wash bodies.
There are at least 8 to 12 deaths a day.The actual data might be considerably higher.
After handing out bodies, doctors ask family members to bury the deceased within several hours. For this reason relatives fail to make it to the funeral.
Bodies are not handed over to morgues. An employee of a Choganly morgue designed to accommodate 100 bodies say that the main cause of death in the morgue is criminal incidents and burial is impossible as autopsy reports and expert examinations are required.