SULAIMANI — As coronavirus cases rise in Sulaimani province, so too has the number of people looking to get tested for the virus. People queue for hours to find out if they've contracted the virus. Ali Naji is one of the three hospitals in Sulaimani that specialise in coronavirus testing. The hospital can conduct 350 tests in a day — not enough for the 500 people who visit it hospital daily. Zanyar is among those seeking coronavirus treatment. He has a fever, one symptom of the virus. "I work at the exchange market and interact with lots of people. Some people have caught the virus in that crowded market," Zanyar said. "I have had a fever for several days and I don’t feel good. I decided to take a coronavirus test. I hope I am not infected with coronavirus. Most who come to the hospital are physically unwell, and know they have been in contact with infected people. "People who visit our hospital are different from those who visited before, who did not show virus symptoms," said Ali Naji clinic manager Sarkhel Araz. "Unfortunately, those who come these days do have symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is fever, although it might not be coronavirus." Eighty percent of tests at the clinic are coming back positive, Araz said. Healthcare worker strikes over delay in pay from the government are further hampering testing efforts. "We used to be searching for the infected people. But the situation is the opposite now — the patients are searching for the hospitals. The situation is tough in the hospitals because then number of patients has increased and staff has reduced. Staff numbers are low — as you know, staff are on strike because of delayed salary payments. We can’t provide more of a service than we already do," said Mazn Abdulkarim, Sulaimani laboratory manager. Each test costs $80—$100, Abdulkarim added. Nearly 50,000 tests have been conducted in Sulamani in the past four months, and more than 130,000 tests have been conducted across the Kurdistan Region, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) health ministry. Reporting by Horvan Rafaat Translation by Sarkawt Mohammed
