Corona infections are rising sharply throughout the country. The number of hospitalizations in the region is still low. The three hospitals currently have a total of 29 corona patients, five of whom are in intensive care. This shows a slight increase compared to last week.
The Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven currently has 14 corona patients, one among them is in intensive care. In the ‘Máxima’ in Veldhoven, four of the total ten corona patients are in the ICU. The Sint Anna Hospital in Geldrop, accommodates five corona patients; none of them is in intensive care.
More beds possible
The relative calm at the ICUs ensures that normal care can continue. But if the figures continue to rise sharply, that could change. The hospitals, which have recently worked hard to contain a second wave, are fearful of this. Catharina Hospital reserves ICU beds for emergency operations for heart patients and for cancer patients. “For the last two ailments, we’re the most important center in this region,” said a spokesman. St. Anna increased the bed capacity in the IC ward by two; in the nursing ward, they added eight beds to cope with an increase in corona patients there.
Nurse Buddies
Both the Catharina and St. Anna hospitals have also trained buddies. These are nurses who can be deployed in the hospitals in the emergency departments. In addition, the hospitals in the region are working closely together to have better distribution of patients, medicines and materials.
Whether all this is enough to deal with a second wave will have to be seen. As Catharina Ziekenhuis puts it: ‘As we’ve learned from the first wave, it is difficult to make statements about the future.”
Source: www.studio040.nl
Translation: Chaitali Sengupta, who gives ONLINE Inburgering classes.
