Netanyahu with the millionth vaccinated: “A tight closure is needed until the vaccines take effect” // Photo: GPO
The Ministry of Health notes that the number of patients in critical condition has tripled since the beginning of December, and that 1,164 patients are hospitalized – occupancy rates of more than 75%. Of all those hospitalized in the corona wards, 529 were in critical condition and 238 in critical condition. Hospitals can only accommodate about 400 more patients, while every day about 100 more patients are difficult. The implication, as stated: within about four days, the hospitals will reach the peak of occupancy in the corona wards.
In most hospitals, more corona wards have been opened in recent days. The Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem stated yesterday that the two corona wards are fully occupied. “We have had more than 90 Corona patients in the past week, more than half of them in critical and critical condition,” a senior at the hospital told Israel Today. “We have been transferring Corona patients to other hospitals within Jerusalem, including East Jerusalem, in recent days, and also occasionally transfer Corona patients from Justice Gates to hospitals in the center. The current wave is characterized by a faster increase, compared to other waves, in terms of Corona patients.” The Ministry of Health instructed MDA to evacuate corona patients from the Jerusalem area to the center, except in urgent cases, due to the congestion in the capital’s hospitals.
At Hadassah Medical Center, the situation is a little calmer, but it does not seem to indicate the rule. Six Corona wards operate there, including 4 wards for patients in relatively mild conditions. Beside them, there are 2 intensive care units for corona patients who are in a more complex condition or those who need respiration. More than 100 corona patients are hospitalized at Hadassah, half of them in critical and critical condition. “Occupancy in the corona wards at Hadassah is high, but not full,” said a senior Hadassah official. “This is the largest number of corona patients in all the hospitals in the country.
The IDF came in to help Rambam
Hadassah clarified that “we do not transfer patients to other hospitals, but at the same time we see many patients in a difficult situation with many complications. Our staff works non-stop around the clock. Unlike other hospitals, the corona wards at Hadassah were never closed but only partially reduced.”
The Rambam Hospital in Haifa warns that this is the busiest and most challenging period since the outbreak of the corona plague in Israel. Dr. Miki Halbertl, Rambam’s director, told Israel Today: “The loads have not started now but have been going on for months. We currently have 90 patients, but beyond the load we are seeing an increase in the severity of the disease. In other words, the infections are more widespread and the patients are more difficult. ” “I thank the IDF for responding to our request and starting to receive patients at the underground hospital,” Halbertl said.
“We will have to reduce treatments”
In view of the fear of insufficiency in the Corona wards, hospital directors spoke last night with the director general of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Hezi Levy, about the situation. He asked the administrators to prepare for the scenario presented in the second wave: (Non-urgent surgeries) could have economic consequences.Projector Prof. Ash, who was present at the conversation, presented the need to tighten the closure. Prior to the meeting, hospital administrators warned that Acmo. The growth rate in these patients is much faster than in the second wave. “Immediate steps are needed to stop the extent of the infections so that we can continue to provide a correct response to both the patients with the corona and the ‘normal’ patients.”
Prof. Arnon Afek, Deputy CEO of Sheba and Acting Chairman of the Association of Hospital Managers, explains: “The number of patients is increasing. This is a difficult task that will ultimately be impossible, but we are not going to crash. It is always possible to increase hospitalization capabilities, but the question is what the prices are. Our mission in hospitals is not only to treat corona patients but also to treat heart attacks and cancer. We can at the moment, but soon we will have to reduce regular treatments. We warn that the situation is such that if we continue to increase the number of patients, there will be a violation of the standard and the ability to respond to ordinary patients. ”
The second wave criticized hospital administrators waving a red flag and warning that they were inadequate. Now, in the third wave – which is bigger than the second wave – they are careful: “There is no such thing as insufficiency. The health system will never give the answer. The question is whether we can give a quality answer to all patients, both corona and non-corona,” says Prof. Afek .
Participated in the preparation of the article: Lilach Shoval