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The Robot Doctor… A Line of Defense Against the Virus in a Saudi Hospital

The Robot Doctor… A Line of Defense Against the Virus in a Saudi Hospital
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The Robot Doctor… A Line of Defense Against the Virus in a Saudi Hospital

The Robot Doctor… A Line of Defense Against the Virus in a Saudi Hospital

As the entire world is practicing "social distancing" and "working from home", robots have found an opportunity to work. This is especially the case in medicine, which has become one of the most dangerous fields, with medical workers and doctors fighting on the frontline against the virus.

Despite being susceptible to technical viruses, robots are not susceptible to viruses like the new coronavirus. This has made robots more valuable now, acting as a link between the patient on the one hand, and nurses and doctors on the other.

Saudi Arabia has employed artificial intelligence systems to confront the virus in order to reduce the risk of transmission to medical teams fighting the virus. They are using robots that move between patients and have several features that protect doctors and nurses from the psychological pressures of examining patients.

B2, a robot doctor, commenced work in King Salman Hospital in Riyadh at the beginning of the month. B2 conducts rounds with the medical team to examine and assess patients in a ward that hosts 27 cases.

The robot has a variety of features; using medical equipment attached to it, it can clinically examine the patient, measure their pulse, conduct an eye exam, and examine their skin, ears, and chest. The robot also serves as a means of visual communication between the patient and the human doctor who controls the robot using a mobile application from a separate room or from outside the hospital. The robot knows very well how to navigate the hospital floor and reach patient rooms. Once in the number of the room on the application is typed, the robot directly attends to it.

Internist and rheumatologist, Dr. Nizar Adnan Bakhsh, director of the Department of Internal Medicine at King Salman Hospital, says that they have started practicing Telemedicine by using modern technology to create a link between the patient and the doctor. He said that this helps in keeping healthcare workers safe and reducing the risk of transmission of the coronavirus.

In a phone call with Asharq Al-Awsat, Dr. Bakhsh says that so far there is only one robot that doctors can use to communicate with patients in isolation around the clock, both from inside and outside the hospital, "using a global network that guarantees that connectivity is maintained without interruption”.

B2 is considered to be one of the new doctors in the Ministry of Health’s pilot phase of confronting the virus.

Cyber-medicine provides doctors and other healthcare workers with the chance to provide care and carry out consultations without having to be at the patient’s bedside. It also provides the chance to consult with doctors outside of the hospital, inviting them to a cyber-medical consultation using the robot

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Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble
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Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Moein Abu Odeh clambered up a pile of rubble in southern Gaza, searching for clothes, shoes, anything he could sell to raise cash more than a year since Israel started its relentless bombardments.

The father-of-four delved under blocks and brushed away piles of concrete dust at the site of one airstrike in the wrecked city of Khan Younis. His plan was to sell what he found to buy flour.

"If food and drink were available, believe me, I would give (these clothes) to charity," he said. "But the struggles we are going through (mean we) have to sell our clothes to eat and drink."

Widespread shortages and months of grinding war have generated a trade in old clothing, much of it salvaged from the homes of people who have died in the conflict.

At one makeshift market, shoes, shirts, sweaters and sneakers were laid out on dusty blankets, Reuters reported.

A girl tried on a single worn-out boot, which could come in handy this winter if she can afford it in Gaza's ruined economy.

A trader got an edge on his competitors by shouting out that his wares were European.

One man laughed as he got a young boy to try on a green jacket.

"We get clothing from a man whose house was destroyed. He was digging in the concrete to get some (clothing) and we buy them like this and sell them at a good price," displaced Palestinian Louay Abdel-Rahman said.

He and his family arrived in the city from another part of Gaza with only the clothes they were wearing. So he also keeps some back for them. "The seasons have changed from summer to winter and we need clothing," he said.

In April, the UN estimated it would take 14 years to dispose of the wreckage in Gaza. The UN official overseeing the problem said the clean-up would cost at least $1.2 billion.

More than 128,000 buildings have been destroyed or severely or moderately damaged in Gaza as a result of the conflict, the UN says. Underneath all of that are seams of mangled clothes.

"All our children only have short-sleeve clothing and nobody is helping them," Saeed Doula, a father-of-seven, said. "The war is all-encompassing."