The decision was taken because of the need to provide additional resources for the treatment of urgent and Covid-19 patients.
Each medical treatment institution will contact the patient individually to inform if any scheduled healthcare service is postponed. These patients will not lose their queue. For accurate information on state-paid health services, the Ministry of Health asked to contact the National Health Service by phone 80001234.
The ministry referred to epidemiological forecasts indicating that in hospitals, capacity in Covid-19 patients will continue to grow rapidly. The number of Covid-19 patients has now increased to 954 of which 116 have severe symptoms.
Hospitals will continue to provide:
- services to ensure continuity of treatment: chemotherapy, biological medicinal products, replacement organ therapy;
- radiotherapy;
- hematology;
- substitution treatment for methadone and buprenorphine;
- inpatient care;
- invasive cardiology;
- invasive radiology.
- oncological, life-saving operations,
- health services related to the treatment of such groups of diseases: oncology, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, psychiatry, contagious skin diseases and sexually transmitted diseases; traumatology;
- acute and sub-acute rehabilitation services for persons for whom the postponement of such services may lead to significant risks.
The decision also provides that large hospitals can continue to provide more assistance if they can provide all the necessary resources for the treatment of urgent and Covid-19 patients.