I.Šimonytė after meeting with A.Veryga: it is not so difficult to apply the handbrake as to move later

According to I.Šimonytė, during the meeting with A.Veryga, the conservatives heard useful information and some knowledge. For example, that a mobile app should be launched to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. You can read about it here: The second wave of coronavirus in Lithuania should be stopped by the Korona Stop app: who created it and what are its shortcomings?

“There has been some information about the decisions made by the government and after which, let’s say, perhaps the coordination of hospitalizations is expected to be more successful than it is now. But, of course, we still have to see it ”, commented the possible future prime minister.

I.Šimonytė said that he had heard a promise from A.Veryga that the job transfer to the future Minister of Health or the Minister of Health would be smooth and benevolent.

“I tend to trust people, I think that will be the case,” he said.

I. Šimonytė explained that after the inauguration of the work against the coronavirus by the new Government, something will be done differently. First, you believe that communication should look different.

“Because we still listen to the prime minister today, I am very sorry that he tends to continue to intimidate people. I don’t know if this brings the public together to cooperate, because I really wouldn’t want the public to think that the decisions that are being made now are made because the elections ended one way or another. However, the objectives pursued by the Government are very clear, at least the Minister has made a similar statement today. It would be good if those objectives were public and then less speculative, to control the increase in new cases and then bring those new cases to a point where our authorities can re-apply the usual controls: trace contacts, prevent chimneys and so on ” he commented.

If, after the introduction of the quarantine, everything goes as planned by the Government, in a scenario similar to that of Ireland, the main thing the new cabinet will have to think about is how to get out of this situation.

“Because applying a parking brake is not as difficult as getting out of it later. This was probably proven by the first wave experience, when we said the same thing after the summer, when everyone here celebrated victory and shot champagne: do we have an exit strategy when we go out? Because we’re still going to take a temporary break, “said I. Šimonytė.

Do we have an exit strategy when we go out? Because we’re probably still going out for some kind of temporary reprieve.

What we will get to, according to a potential future prime minister, will depend on what news we have about the COVID-19 vaccine, the testing opportunities that will be available, for example rapid PCR tests, etc.

And in the context of all this, one or another exit strategy could be a success. If it is not possible to control this situation, then it will simply be necessary for this government to react according to the situation, ”said I. Šimonytė.

Difficult situation

After the meeting with the conservatives of the Seimas, A. Veryga said that he had spoken very seriously.

“It just came to our knowledge then. They wanted to hear the situation, then I introduced it to them. There were really a lot of questions about what they keep asking me as well: about testing strategies, about tools, about preparation. In a word, we really spoke very naturally ”, Assured the outgoing Minister of Health.

The situation regarding the spread of the coronavirus is extremely complicated, as some institutions lack beds for COVID-19 patients.

They used to have 405 beds. However, they were busy, hospitalized more than 600 coronavirus patients.

“It means that the institutions are no longer using some COVID-19 beds, but they are already using their other departments, reorganizing them and it would no longer be necessary to call it a reserve. This is not a reserve, the system is already being restructured, capacities that were not directly assigned to COVID-19 are being used, ”said A. Veryga.

The situation in Vilnius may turn critical

Aušra Bilotienė Motiejūnienė, Director of Management of the Santara Clinics, who came to the plenary session of the Seimas, said that in the largest country – the Vilnius region, which has almost 1 million. population, 196 COVID-19 patients are currently being treated. 16 of them lie in resuscitation.

According to A.Bilotienė Motiejūnienė, finding places for people with coronavirus in other medical institutions, so-called support hospitals, is quite complicated.

It all depends on the attitude of the municipal administrations and the medical institutions themselves, the available infrastructure.

The director of the Santara clinics for management said that an agreement had been reached with the Ukmergė hospital, which will be able to treat another 28 patients with COVID-19.

However, according to A.Bilotienė Motiejūnienė, the organizing institutions lack certain powers to be able to say one way or another where and what services could or should be provided so that more institutions join the COVID-19 treatment.

“On average around 20, just over 20 patients are severe and extremely severe and bedridden per day. That, let’s say, Ukmergtaría would be enough for us to fill a maximum of two days. We have a long, long conversation with Alytus, with S. Kudirka Hospital and with Švenčionys Hospital. She seems determined to also accept the challenge and work with COVID-19 patients. However, from what I have mentioned everywhere, probably 20-30 beds will not really help the current situation ”, emphasized the doctor.

According to A.Bilotienė Motiejūnienė, the situation in the Vilnius region may become critical.

“I could not say those things about the whole of Lithuania or other regions, because maybe the disease is distributed differently. Here you will probably see the ministry in all that picture. As for the Vilnius region, the situation is currently tense. It is not Fundamentally, we still have beds for more than a day with the option to expand. However, apparently if we want to maintain both scheduled services and, say, treatment of COVID-19 patients, and in the face of such illness, we probably should also have some alternatives ”, he emphasized.

As for the Vilnius region, the situation is currently tense. Not critical, we still have beds for more than one day with the option to extend.