Tunisian hospitals are battling to keep operating as the number of people dying of Covid-19 spikes and bodies are left in rooms because mortuaries are running at full capacity."Some patients have died without us realising it," said Imen Fteiti a nurse at the Ibn Jazzar hospital in the central city of Kairouan, one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.

Some bodies of Covid victims have been left lying in rooms, next to other patients, for up to 24 hours because there were not enough staff to organise their transfer to overstretched mortuaries.Tunisia has officially recorded more than 15,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic last year with the toll rising in recent weeks.

In Kairouan, 5,500 litres (195 cubic feet) of oxygen are now needed daily to treat those stricken by Covid compared to 400-500 litres two weeks ago before the number of cases spiked, regional health officials said.(Ref: Yahoo news 06/07/2021)