A state of emergency means that patients who are scheduled to undergo surgery this week have been notified of a postponement for an unknown time. Doctors say that the currently hospitalized 194 patients mark the beginning of the next wave of the virus.
Imants Paeglis, Chairman of the Board of Riga East Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS), said:
“Another crisis point at least at RAKUS has been reached, and today in the operational management group we decided to announce an emergency at the hospital.”
One surgery hall did not open at all Monday. Its staff wore protective clothing and went to work with Covid-19 patients.
If nothing changes, Eastern Hospital will be forced to limit services further. The head of the hospital's Sepsis clinic, Oļegs Šuba, said: “It was expected. We are at the very beginning of this wave.”
The proportion of severely ill Covid-19 patients in the hospital has also changed dramatically as a result of the delta variant of the contagious virus. So far, it was 10-12%, now it is around 20%. None of the severely ill patients, who already occupy two-thirds of the beds in intensive therapy, had been vaccinated against the virus.
The experience of the clinic leader shows that a severely ill Covid-19 patient can spend even a hundred days in intensive care. Patient prioritizing will begin soon. “Who we can and cannot save. It is tragic not only for the patient but also emotionally difficult for the medic himself,” Šuba said.
