ROME, April 9. /TASS/. Oliviero Valoti, an Italian medic, who heads the field hospital set up at the Pope John XXIII hospital in Italy’s Bergamo, thoroughly praised the aid to Italy provided by Russia’s specialists, he told TASS Thursday, adding that their mutual work has turned out to be very productive, once certain objective complications, such as the language barrier, had been overcome.
"At first, we had some difficulties in our understanding of the methods and approaches to working in intensive care and other units, but, despite our somewhat different standards, we established good cooperation. Our current experience is highly valuable and sometimes very emotional," he noted.
The medic also praised the Russian ventilators, installed in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
"These Russian-made machines are of high quality and are greatly needed. Italian medics have already mastered them, they are very easy and convenient to use," the medic highlighted.
At times, Russian specialists experience language barriers with the patients, Valoti revealed.
"In the Bergamo region, many patients speak a local dialect, quite different from traditional Italian, which even the interpreters who accompanied these Russian medics have trouble understanding, but [Bergamo’s] local medics are always eager to help," he pointed out.
Valoti was among the first medics who contracted the coronavirus. He disclosed that the disease lasted for 20 days, after which he immediately returned to his duties and was assigned with setting up the field hospital.
Russia to the rescue
On March 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte agreed that Russia would provide Italy with assistance to combat the coronavirus. Between March 22 and March 25, 15 military planes delivered some 100 military virologists and epidemiologists, eight medical brigades, as well as diagnostic equipment and decontamination vehicles.
Currently, Russian experts are working in the Bergamo area (Lombardy province), which is among the hardest hit by the pandemic. Russian specialists have already conducted disinfection procedures in 33 settlements, decontaminating 226,000 square meters of indoor areas, 21,000 square meters of paved roads and over 4,500 equipment and inventory pieces.