HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - Marshall Health surgeon Dr. Juan Sanabria joined the United States Marines to help people and defend the country, though he probably never expected his frontline would be New York City.
Sanabria, Marshall Health’s vice chair of research and science director and a professor in the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, was recently deployed to New York City with the U.S. Marine Corps 4th Medical Battalion Surgical Companies Alpha and Bravo. His team is tasked with enhancing patient care at local facilities and in the Armed Forces mobile centers.
New York City is now the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, with the death toll surpassing 10,000 people as of April 15. The New York Times said the deserted streets of the city that never sleeps is haunted by the near constant sounds of sirens.
Sanabria said the devastation he is witnessing is shocking, and it has a psychological affect on the health care workers trying everything in their power to save peoples’ lives.
“Nurses are working in bad conditions,” he said. “They don’t have the resources they need to save people’s lives … They break down.”
Death is being seen on a daily basis, and there is not enough of the proper equipment to treat people.
“We are trying to do our best with what we have,” Sanabria said.
Sanabria and his dispatch have been sent to hospitals all over the city, including Bellevue Hospital, which has been described as being turned into one big COVID-19 unit. In total, they are assisting 11 hospitals and operating intensive care units. He works 12 hours on, 12 hours off. He said the shifts are exhausting.
He said even though the count appears to be going down in the city, there are still a lot of sick people that are in need. But he said he sees a light at the end of the tunnel.
He said he is happy to provide his skills to help navigate the unprecedented situation.
“If we don’t help our own than we are left up to destiny,” he said.
Sanarbia doesn’t think West Virginia or Cabell County will experience anything like New York City, but said as the governor and president begin talking about reopening the economy, they need to be conservative to prevent a second peak of new cases.
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