Medical referrals: at this scale of the epidemic, unimaginable

Doctors fear that if the pace of the virus continues to accelerate, the country may not only have no choice but to introduce quarantine, but will again have to restrict the provision of some other medical services, which could have very painful consequences that now they are being avoided.

The petition addressed to the Lithuanian public is signed by: NVSC Trade Union, Lithuanian Health Care Union, Lithuanian Medical Association, Lithuanian Hospital Association, Lithuanian District Hospital Association, Lithuanian Association of Private Health Care Institutions, Association of young doctors, Professor at Vilnius University Medical Faculty, Families Dr. Vytautas Kasiulevičius, Lithuanian Medical Directors’ Union, National Association of Medical Institutions, Lithuanian Organization of Nursing Specialists.

Here is the full medical reference:

Dear Lithuanian people,

We, Lithuanian doctors, epidemiologists, and all healthcare professionals, ask for your help: we ask you to join, join for the common goal of being responsible and helping to stop the spread of COVID-19.

We face this virus on a day-to-day basis by providing assistance, treatment and research to the population, conducting an epidemiological study. The situation worsens. We are already working without days off, we are tired, but we are very worried about what will happen next and what could happen if the situation does not change.

The virus is spreading at a rate we did not see in the spring. More than half of the beds available to COVID-19 infected patients are already occupied and morbidity rates continue to rise uncontrollably. We will soon be forced to suspend the provision of other medical services.

We are concerned that, with this scale of spread of the epidemic, the unimaginable may happen and the day will come when we can no longer adequately care for this seriously ill virus or other life-threatening diseases. As examples from other countries show, in this case, the only way to stop the virus is strict quarantine and a complete shutdown of the country. Nobody wants that, realizing how painfully this would affect the quality of life for all of us, our jobs, our economy, the state of mind and the development of society, and ultimately the wallets of each of us.

We can still stop the pandemic without shutting down all of Lithuania. But for that, we all have to live a little more calmly. This spring we have all shown together that we can do it and we know how to do it.

Please: give up unnecessary meetings, trips, friends’ gatherings, parties and celebrations, club activities, sports training. Let’s wear masks everywhere and always when we go out of the house. Wash our hands constantly, disinfect surfaces. Keep a safe distance in public places. Whenever possible, let’s work remotely. Let’s handle all of our affairs over the phone or online.

In particular, please: protect the elderly and people with serious illnesses. Most of the people most affected by this insidious virus are people, our parents and grandparents. By loving and caring for them, allow us to spend more time with our loved ones, communicate remotely, refrain from face-to-face meetings, help them buy the most necessary goods, support them.

The virus represents a great threat to everything we hold dear in life. Especially for our loved ones. This threat is here. She didn’t back down and decline, no matter how tired we were of her, no matter how we wanted to get back to the life we ​​were used to.

But there is also a silver lining: we can manage and overcome this threat, as rare as any other, with our own effort and awareness. The research, the experience of the world and Lithuania gained in the fight against this virus is shown very clearly: by protecting each other, we can stop the spread of the virus very quickly. Please: live more peacefully and protect yourself, your relatives, doctors, the Lithuanian economy and our income and well-being.

# Doctors ask
#Calm

Delfi recalls that the Government decided on Wednesday that life in Lithuania will change: visitor registration will be introduced in some places of leisure and entertainment, working hours in bars and restaurants will be reduced, students will have to study at home after the holidays, 13 municipalities will live in local quarantine.