that’s where the beds are

Not just the night curfew and the reintroduction of distance learning for high schools. Among the “additional measures” for the prevention and management of the Coronavirus emergency contained in the ordinance signed last night by the president of the Lazio Region, Nicola Zigaretti, and by the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, is also the increase in the number of beds dedicated to the care of patients affected by Covid 19.

Thus, the so-called ‘Covid network’ is expanding. The document, in fact, not only expands the hospital beds that have long been dedicated in part to the care of Covid 19 patients, but also identifies a number of public and private structures that are “additional” to those already included in this network. All this until the achievement of 2,913 beds available at full capacity, of which 532 are dedicated to intensive and sub-intensive therapy.

To explain what will happen in individual Roman hospitals there is a table attached to the ordinance. The total number of beds at the INMI Spallanzani increases by a few units: when it is fully operational there will be 278 of which 234 will be ordinary and 44 will be in intensive care. The number of beds in the Umberto I Polyclinic increased by more than 100: from 124 to 210 ordinary, from 38 to 64 in intensive care for a total of 274 beds destined for Covid 19. The availability of San Filippo Neri also increased (from 20 95 ordinary places, from 0 to 25 in intensive care) and at the San Feliciano Clinic (from 20 to 89 ordinary, 0 in intensive care).

In Santo Spirito, when it is fully operational, 16 ordinary places will be reached. 12 ordinary places are added to Pertini and Sant’Eugenio; 20 at the Villa San Pietro del Fatebenefratelli hospital and 40 at the Nuova Itor nursing home. Among the hospitals where the burden will increase the most are Vannini, which will introduce 132 new ordinary beds and another six in intensive care for a total of 14, and San Camillo Forlanini with 70 new ordinary beds and 8 in intensive care. The Israeli goes from 34 ordinary places to 70, 4 for intensive care.

As indicated in the ordinance, on September 30, 2020 the request for a manifestation of readiness for the installation of beds in all the structures had been made. These were the ones that responded: Hospital Israelitico, Villa Tiberia, Villa Serena, San Feliciano, Policlinico Di Liegro, Hospital Vannini, Campus Bio Medico, INI Città Bianca, Villa delle Querce, Guarnieri Nursing Home, IDI, Nuova Itor, Regina Apostolorum, Policlinico Casilino, Villa S. Pietro Fatebenefratelli, Policlinico Gemelli.

“With this new provision, the entire regional hospital network is remodeled, expanding and strengthening the places dedicated to COVID-19 following the trend of the epidemiological curve,” Zingaretti said when commenting on the ordinance. “We continue to constantly monitor the situation and we are working to implement and increase the screening action, so we are launching an expression of interest to identify private facilities capable of performing at least 5,000 daily swabs.”