The COVID-19 Task Force for the Tigray (Northern Province of Ethiopia)
Our association is actively represented by the board member Ahmedin Idris in the work of the discussion platform of a task force that is committed to advising those responsible for COVID-19 in Ethiopia with a focus on Tigray and sending missing medical materials there funded by donations.
This task force consists of scientists, epidemiologists, clinicians and experienced doctors who are members of the Global Society of Tigrian Scholars (GSTS), a worldwide association of foreign Ethiopians. Also members are the Minister of Health of Tigray and doctors from the university clinic, Ayder Hospital of Mekelle University .
This platform communicates using email, the instant messaging service Whats App, and video conferencing once or twice a week.
There is a forceful commitment.
The COVID-19 epidemiology for Tigray was defined in detail and forms of prevention and algorithms for health policy decision-making were developed as guidelines.
Special protective measures for medical personnel were recommended and selected considering the local conditions and possibilities.
The Tigray authorities implemented all recommendations of the task force and informed the task force of the progress of the quarantine.
As has been internationally proven, the task force recommended maintaining distance, face masks, quarantine and isolation.
Our association has collected donations and made them available together with funds from the TASK Force for CORONA-19 for the procurement of test materials and personal protective materials for medical personnel.

The details:
Our association Etiopia-Witten has more than 10 years of experience with the difficult realities of maintaining and improving medical work at Ayder Hospital of Mekelle University, which is one of the largest and most modern hospitals in all of Ethiopia. We can and must now use this knowledge to bring the right form of help together with a newly founded international CORVID-19 aid group of exiled Tigrinians for Mekelle and Tigray.

Our experience helps to make the right choice of appropriate relief supplies (reusable face masks, glasses, coats and more), to raise money for their purchase and to choose a suitable organization that can make safe transport possible ( e.g. Tigray Development Association - TDI).

Our board member Ahmedin Idris has been involved in the work of these organizations through repeated video conferences for several weeks and his advice is highly valued for our many years of work in Mekelle. With these organizations, a targeted and appropriate investment of our aid funds is developed. The aim is to ensure the long-term supply of aid with reusable materials.

In addition to the Minister of Health of the Province of Tigray, Hagos Godefey, the clinical director of the Ayder Hospital (Dr. Amanuel Haile) is responsible for the medical care of the city of Mekelle and its surroundings. Other Ayder doctors are involved in the technical preparation for the corona pandemic (COVID-19). The form of our help will be coordinated with these people in advance so that it will be accepted and adapted on site.
As soon as these technical requirements are met, we will, adjusted to the donation funds, send the relief goods on the trip.

Large hospital-like halls have been set up as a reception facility for symptomatic COVID-19 patients near the airport in a newly built university campus that has not yet been occupied.

The first attempts with self-made protective clothing have been carried out (source Dr. Dr. Zekarias, Ayder Hospital Hygiene Officer).

A device for testing for COVID-19 has just been put into operation in Mekelle and the first tests, all of which have been negative, have been carried out. Test materials are now lacking to be able to test more extensively.

Another problem area is the extraction of oxygen for patient treatment. There is a lack of oxygen masks. The device for extracting oxygen from the air (oxygen concentrator) in the Ayder requires maintenance and has a capacity of only 30%. So far, there is no funding for new filters. To what extent the local industry can supply oxygen in cylinders in sufficient numbers is open.

We will continue to report.