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An outbreak of covid-19 in the Hospital of Barcelos, detected on November 30, has 17 infected people, 10 users and seven professionals on the internal medicine floor, said the president of the Board of Directors, Joaquim Barbosa.
“All the professionals on the floor were evaluated: doctors, nurses, operational assistants. And the patients were transferred to the floors of the covid area, “explains Joaquim Barbosa, highlighting that all the measures provided for in the hospital’s contingency plan were taken and that, in this sense,” the situation is under control.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors acknowledges that the situation brings constraints, since there are seven professionals, but ensures that “the normal functioning of the services is not at stake.”
“Over time, like all hospitals, we have had professionals who tested positive. (…) Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have a mechanism that is the possibility of hiring people. As a result of the pandemic itself, it became necessary to strengthen the body of professionals, mainly nurses and operational assistants. Absenteeism increased due to normal situations, but also due to covid-19, and we have resorted to replacements and reinforcements to respond to the pandemic ”, he underlines.
About 20 patients transferred to other units
With a “very high” occupancy rate, the Barcelos Hospital has resorted to the ARS-Norte network, through which it has already transferred around 20 covid patients to other units. “We are in coordination with ARS-Norte and the response has been good,” says Joaquim Barbosa.
The patients have been transferred to other SNS units, such as the Hospital das Forças Armadas, in Porto, as well as to the private ones, with whom ARS-Norte signed protocols, such as Trofa Saúde and Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Póvoa de Lanhoso.
“In fact, we are still in the acute phase of the pandemic. To that extent, we had to resort to a bed management structure in a network articulated with the ARS, which has helped us and to which I have resorted to and transferred about 20 patients so far, ”says the president of the Hospital’s Board of Directors. of Barcelos. , a unit that currently has 41 beds for covid and “they are practically all occupied.”
Non-urgent surgeries suspended
The “pressure” on the Barcelos Hospital forced the cancellation of the surgical activity considered non-priority or non-urgent, with a waiting time of up to six months.
“We concentrate surgical activity on what is priority and urgent. We have two operating rooms, one of which is operational for priority and urgent ”, explains Joaquim Barbosa, noting that the Barcelos Hospital is the one in the northern area with the shortest average waiting time.
“We have free time, but at this time it is not possible to say when the activity will resume,” said the official, adding that the external consultations are working normally.
Protocol with the Hospital de Fão
The Barcelos Hospital celebrated with the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Fão, in Esposende, a protocol for non-covid patients “already in the final phase of the hospitalization period, in the recovery phase, awaiting discharge”.
A need that, however, has decreased due to the expansion of the ARS-Norte network, which has been providing more beds in recent weeks.
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