Romanian hospitals, under pressure

Romanian hospitals are overwhelmed by the big number of Covid patients.

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Leyla Cheamil, 16.11.2021, 14:00

The Covid-19 pandemic has put a huge pressure on Romanian hospitals, where the medical staff is overwhelmed by the big number of patients in their care. Intensive care units are in the most difficult situation. Some of the critically ill patients had to wait for days to be treated in ICUs, due to the lack of available beds. The fourth wave of the pandemic has hit Romania very hard this fall, when the country reported the biggest number of infections and related deaths in Europe. Emergency units had to deal with a big number of patients waiting on the hallways for a hospital bed to become available.

The results of the restrictive measures in place have started to show, with a smaller number of infections being reported. However, in spite of having half the number of infections the week before, hospitals are still full with Covid-patients. Manager of the Marius Nasta Institute in Bucharest, Beatrice Mahler, explains: ˮUnfortunately, there are many patients that need post-Covid medical care, and here we have two categories: some of the patients who have been treated for Covid in hospital and still have lung problems that require respiratory recovery and treatment such as oxygen therapy and another category of patients, who stayed at home for 14 days and are now coming to the hospital because they are unwell and have serious lung lesions. ˮ

Beatrice Mahler believes that an informed population is a responsible population who needs free testing centres for diagnosis, vaccination and information. Physicians continue to emphasise the fact that vaccination is the best weapon against the virus. Data provided by the National Committee for the Coordination of Vaccination shows that only 23% of the people living in rural areas, over 38% of those living in urban areas and more than 40% of those in county capitals have been immunized.

The EU recognizes, as of Tuesday, the Covid-vaccination certificates released by authorities in Moldova, Serbia, Georgia and New Zealand. In their turn, the four countries will accept the European certificate for travels from the community area. European Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, said that at present 49 countries and territories on five continents are connected to the Covid digital certificate of the European Union. (EE)