Representative of Santara Clinics on COVID-19 Patient Beds: So far we are calm, but the peak is only in mid-December

According to Wednesday morning, 163 patients with COVID-19 (four of them children) were treated in the Santara clinics, 33 of them in the Resuscitation and Intensive Care Unit. Of all hospital facilities for patients treated with COVID-19, 95% were taken to the Santara clinics and 66% to resuscitation and intensive care.

In the Vilnius region, COVID-19 patients still receive treatment at the Vilnius City Clinical Hospital (VMKL), Vilnius Republican Hospital (RVUL), Ukmergė, Druskininkai, Trakai, Alytus S. Kudirka hospitals. Overall, about 78 percent are currently employed. all beds.

Compared to the occupation of such beds throughout Lithuania, the Vilnius region looks sadder: the total number is about 50 percent.

Quieter than before the weekend

However, A. Bilotienė Motiejūnienė, managing director of the Santara clinics, which are the main ones in the Vilnius region, assures that the situation on Wednesday looks quite good: Of course, today is Wednesday, we will see another Friday for the morning.

But looking at the whole region, the Antakalnis Hospital (VMKL – ed. Past.) Is now expanded and has up to 190 beds, which is another large ward with more than 30 beds. We also have several empty beds in Ukmergė, but we have resuscitation beds with them. We have 20 beds in Alytus, 20 in Druskininkai and in Trakai. So in the whole region we have a little: 20, 10, 8 beds. Now we can calmly accept patients, live in silence, but we definitely observe them every day; some patients may be discharged. About ten, sometimes less, can be written per day, so the places are left empty. Today, 438 of the 560 planned places are occupied “.

Žygimantas Gedvila / 15 min photo / Aušra Bilotienė Motiejūnienė

A.Bilotienė Motiejūnienė admits that it is quiet until the weekend, but it is necessary to look to the future, so we are talking with the representatives of the regions. He emphasized that Alytus Hospital had joined the process in good faith, VMKL has options to expand the COVID-19 ward at this hospital.

Fear of staff shortages

“There is another part: the employees. I realize that my language is not always the correct one and I like it, but in fact sometimes you speak, please, as if it seems that people can go to work, but maybe there is fear , perhaps reluctance. Undoubtedly, more older professionals in the regions. So, where there are bases of residence, we are trying to review, for the moment, on a voluntary basis to guarantee work and patient care. But all Fireplaces appear every day in institutions, not just in Santara clinics.

This is the case at Švenčionys Hospital: the beds are ready, the oxygen supply is in order, but most of the staff are isolated or ill, ”said the managing director of the Santara Clinics.

The hospital also has a Nursing Unit, although the number of patients in it has dropped from more than 20 at the beginning of last week to six, but care is still needed. COVID-19 patients cannot be admitted here until all staff have completed self-isolation. A.Bilotienė Motiejūnienė hopes that on Friday the situation in this hospital will be clearer, perhaps the COVID-19 departments of this hospital will open their doors, which will allow them to breathe a little easier.

This is the case at Švenčionys Hospital: the beds are ready, the oxygen supply is fixed, but most of the staff are isolated or ill.

“We also have opportunities to expand with us; we have thought of several alternatives where it would be possible to relocate the departments so that the work is not interrupted or stopped. However, we can propose, offer options, we think it is safe enough, but It is appreciated by infectologists, infection control, because there can be no cross contamination, other patients and staff must be protected, ”said the managing director.

Other services are also offered at the Santara clinics, although A.Bilotienė Motiejūnienė does not hide that they have declined. As services for VMKL decline, more patients travel to RVUL, and Santara clinics must also provide emergency care, for example cardiology. Therefore, the decline in regular services is not such that many workers have lost their jobs.

Peak – in December

When asked what the prognosis was for the peak of morbidity, A.Bilotienė Motiejūnienė said that according to the scientists’ data, most cases of infection should occur in mid-December, perhaps in the first week.

“It seems that based on the number of arrivals and the number of arrivals, the number is increasing. Once upon a time 20 a day, then – 25, now it is close to 30. After all, we are hospitalizing complex cases, which means we see a slight increase in the week and those cases are more complicated, ”said the managing director.

It seems that in terms of the number of arrivals and the number of arrivals, the number is increasing. It used to be 20 a day, then 25, now it’s close to 30.

According to her, patients are expected to need the maximum number of beds by mid-December, but she admitted that planning is difficult. Especially since there are outbreaks in different wards of different hospitals, then you have to decide how to provide one or another service in that region.

The COVID-19 department has about 40 medical institutions throughout Lithuania, but A. Bilotienė Motiejūnienė is convinced that it is not easy for others who do not have such departments: more patients with other diseases come to them.

“The entire resuscitation of the Santara clinics was completed last week; based on the latest data from last week, it appeared that there would not be enough places on Monday or Tuesday.” But now we have 65 percent. In employment, 33 of the 50 resuscitation beds in the Santara clinics were occupied. It cannot be said that patients do not go to full resuscitation, but for some it improves, so there is no such thing as being completely full. Last week it was for there to be five or six new patients every day, so the number really went up a lot. And here I am talking only about our institution, ”said A.Bilotienė Motiejūnienė.

In other hospitals the situation is different, here VMKL has six resuscitation beds and all of them are occupied. However, according to A.Bilotienė Motiejūnienė, the most difficult patients are still admitted to the Santara clinics, therefore the need for beds in the intensive care unit is greater here; we are trying to install additional places for the most difficult patients.

When asked about the need for a temporary hospital in Vilnius, A.Bilotienė Motiejūnienė did not hide that it is more convenient to expand the wards in inpatient hospitals, and that the need for a temporary hospital should be addressed throughout Lithuania. It is said that if all the beds in the Vilnius region were occupied, perhaps places would appear in the Panevėžys region and so on.

Photo by Saulius Žiūra / COVID-19 room at Vilnius City Clinical Hospital

Then there could be fewer personnel problems. One of the managers of the Santara clinics does not hide that it is not so easy to agree: a prolonged pandemic, the uncertainty about when it will end, suppresses medical enthusiasm and increases fatigue.

Since the start of the pandemic, COVID-19 has infected 51,655 thousand people in the country. people, 38,755 thousand. – still sick, 12,282 Pig – congratulated. A total of 432 people died from coronavirus in Lithuania and another 186 from other causes.