Attica is out of ICUs - Near 100% occupancy while an increase in admissions is expected

The first region of the country to gather the most coronavirus cases - after yesterday's briefing of the EODY more than half of them are located in the Attica - has proven to be «naked» against the virus of pandemic. The government's narrative of shielding the ESY, with «thousands of hires» and «hundreds of ICU» once again collapses in the most tragic way, leading patients, doctors and nurses to despair.

This is evidenced not only by the statements of the hospital doctors themselves but also by the cots in the corridors of the hospitals that have made their appearance. Hospital doctors speak of a great increase in mortality and morbidity from the conversion of hospitals into a disease «government's »persecution industry" of those who come forward and highlight the tragic shortcomings.

Typical is his tweet Panos Papanikolaou, Director of the General Hospital of Nice - Piraeus and General Secretary of the Federation of Hospital Doctors' Associations, who speaks of an explosive combination in hospitals.

«As of yesterday, we are experiencing an explosive combination for the first time since March 2020 : a spike in the number of admissions of both covid and noncovid (injuries and other conditions) morbidity TAKING place. Immediate reinforcement of public health care with staff and infrastructure is required».

As of yesterday, we are experiencing an explosive combination for the first time since March 2020 : a spike in the number of admissions of both covid and noncovid (injuries and other conditions) morbidity TODAY. Immediate reinforcement of public health care with staff and infrastructure is required.

- P.G. Papanikolaou (@PGPapanikolaou) February 24, 2021

«One year after the arrival of the coronavirus in the country, the government of the New Democracy has not taken a single measure to decisively strengthen and shield the NHS. Hospitals of a disease, doctors of a disease. Huge increase in mortality and morbidity from other diseases due to the suspension of regular hospital outpatient and surgical clinics. And having turned hospitals into hospitals of a disease, they are now turning health centres into vaccination centres with all the dangers that this entails. We are here because the government, after the hypocritical applause on the balconies, has launched an attack on health workers, on anyone who comes forward and highlights the tragic shortcomings. It has set up an industry of persecution against those who cannot bear to bend the head to kneel those who say that under the mask we have a voice,» concludes the president of OENGE.

«Intubated patients waiting for an ICU bed»

«Every day intubated coronavirus cases wait for an empty ICU bed to be discharged. The ICU beds are almost full,» says the president of PODEDN, describing the pressure on Attica's hospitals.

«We can no longer bear the idyllic reality that the government is trying to present, that has nothing to do with the unbearable reality that patients, nurses and doctors experience,» said the president of the Hospital Doctors Afroditi Rentziou at the doctors' meeting outside the Ministry of Health.

According to the data from PDEDN, αOf the 10 hospitals, ICUs are already full in eight.

The situation is similar for single beds in clinics COVID-19 in Attica. The largest of the reference hospitals, «Sotiria», has only 6 free beds on Wednesday, out of a total of 227, i.e. an occupancy rate of 97.4%. Evangelismos, the largest hospital in the country, has 20 beds empty, out of 160 in total, i.e. an occupancy rate of 87.5%. Attica of 123 simple covid-19 beds has only 13 vacant beds, with an occupancy of 89.4%.

The cots in hospitals

According to the PDEDN, the situation in hospitals is dramatic. As they claim in the hospital «Attikon» trying to increase the number of covid beds they move patients with other diseases to other clinics and even in the corridors. The same situation prevails in all hospitals that treat patients with coronavirus as the daily admissions to hospitals exceed 150 in Attica in the last few days.

Pagoni: At 87% the occupancy of ICUs

At the same time, the president of the Hospital Doctors, Matina Pagoni, speaking to THEMA 104,6, said that the occupancy of ICUs in Attica hospitals reaches 87%.

The continuous increase in cases is expected to make the situation in hospitals even more difficult in the coming days, making the work of doctors and nurses who have been struggling for a year with the shortages of the NHS even more difficult.