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The São João Hospital Center (CHUSJ), in Porto, will go, in the next few hours, to level 3 of the contingency plan due to the increase in hospitalized patients with covid-19 and the greater demand for emergency services. The crisis office met Tuesday afternoon to assess the situation. The decision involves suspending part of the scheduled surgeries.
“CHUSJ will activate level 3 of the contingency plan in the next few hours, which has 4 levels – for covid-19, in response to the need to increase the hospitalization areas dedicated to covid-19 and the flow in the emergency department, “a source from the hospital told PUBLIC.
“The activation of this level implies the assignment of the internal medicine service to covid-19, directly affecting the limitation of elective surgical activity, that is, with the suspension of part of the scheduled surgical activity“, He explains, adding that” the reinforcement and mobilization of human resources from the various specialties is already being implemented for the different areas, in accordance with the contingency plan.
The Porto unit currently has 52 hospitalized covid-19 patients, 11 of which are in intensive care units (ICU). The decision to raise the level of response came after the infectious diseases and gynecology services, which were dedicated solely to patients with covid-19, according to phase 2 of the contingency plan, reached a “100% occupancy rate ”.
Concern
In statements to Quick Before the meeting, the president of the São João board of directors explained that hospital officials are “very concerned about the evolution of the situation, due to the strong growth in the number of cases” of covid-19. “In addition to the enormous pressure on the emergency service, we now have a decisive impact on hospitalization,” added Fernando Araújo, former Secretary of State for Health.
Until last Friday, an official source had informed the PUBLIC that there were 45 hospitalized patients with covid-19, eight of whom were in intensive care and that the pace of influx to the hospital was maintained – “the increase in hospital admissions and flow in the emergency department ” – it could “be necessary to reduce elective activity in the coming weeks, depending on the activation levels of the contingency plan.”
At the peak of the first pandemic wave, the hospital had more than 200 COVID-19 patients in the hospital, four dozen of whom were in intensive care. But the current situation is different and, therefore, the challenges now are greater. At that time, by order of the Ministry of Health, all scheduled activity was suspended, which led to the postponement of thousands of consultations and surgeries.
Now, in addition to patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, the hospital, and the rest of the NHS, must simultaneously respond to non-covid-19 patients, which means that most of the beds are occupied by people with other problems. health, such as heart, respiratory, among others. The cold weather, with more respiratory viruses in circulation, will bring even more pressure to that already created by the increase in patients with covid-19 who need hospital care.
Increasing hospitalizations
According to this Tuesday’s report from the General Health Directorate, 916 people are hospitalized in the country for covid-19 (39 more than the previous day), the highest number since April 30. Of these, 132 are in intensive care units, the highest number since May 7.
The Lisbon and Vale do Tejo and Norte regions account for 87% of the 1,208 confirmed cases of infection. In the North alone, 713 new cases were identified, more than half (59%) of the new infections registered in Portugal. It is the second highest number of new cases in this region; the highest was recorded last Saturday.
Updated news with the change in the response level of the contingency plan.
