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Three chief doctors in leadership positions in the three largest hospitals in the canton of Zurich defend themselves against the current crown policy of the federal government and the cantons. The basic assessment summarized:
The three doctors are Urs Karrer, Head of Infectious Diseases at Winterthur Cantonal Hospital, Professor Huldrych Günthard, Deputy Director of the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the University of Zurich, and Gerhard Eich, Head of Infectious Diseases of Triemli.
They reported this week to “NZZ am Sonntag”: “As you have also seen, in Switzerland we have no control over Sars-CoV-2.” At the Zurich University Hospital, this week new record numbers of Covid patients were counted, “and the number of cases is happily increasing. We infectologists are extremely concerned. “
According to the NZZaS, the three chief doctors want to move the public and remind politicians of their responsibility. The Federal Council for the hesitation, the parties opposing the protective measures and, in particular, the Governing Council of Zurich.
Nursing staff from the intensive care department of the HFR Cantonal Hospital in Freiburg.
© KEYSTONE / Alessandro della Valle
In his opinion, the measures that have now been decided are not yet sufficient. If the number of cases in Switzerland does not “quickly” drop below 700 per day and the positivity rate falls below five percent, the system will collapse.
Exhausted staff and hospital infections are currently problematic. In recent weeks, there have apparently been deaths in several hospitals in the canton of Zurich because patients were infected with the corona virus inside the hospital.
Doctors are furious because they keep pointing out the old age of the victims. “Many of them are still vigorous at the time of the disease,” says Günthard, for example. And: “You could have had a few better years.”
Their proposal is to toughen the measures, they name some demands, among them: Social activities outside the family should be prohibited, restaurants and leisure facilities should be closed, a maximum of five people from two homes for private visits. Also limit the number of customers in stores.
And the economy? Kärrer: “We are seeing that economic livelihoods are perishing. That hurts. But companies can bounce back and rebuild. But we will not return the dead. “
Nursing staff at the end of their tether
The nursing staff also struggled this week against the current situation. For example, the Association of Nursing Personnel has sent a warning call to the Federal Council. Many nurses are already sold out in December. This tension cannot be sustained until spring.
This affects not only staff in intensive care units but all nurses in the health sector. That means: in acute care hospitals, rehabilitation clinics or in nursing homes.
Bianca Schaffert-Witvliet, chair of the Ethics Committee of the Swiss Professional Nurses and Nurses Association, told SRF: “When I have a patient who wants to tell me his life story when he is dying and I have to leave him alone, it bothers me.” .
The nursing staff also welcomed the latest Federal Council measures, but believes they do not go far enough. The measures now implemented were requested by them in October. They would have liked a second closure to be announced this week.
It is not just the high occupancy of intensive care beds that is of concern. Epidemiologist Jan Fehr from the University of Zurich also draws attention to other factors: “When it comes to healthcare workers, we have to look very closely who can still be deployed – that’s the limiting factor in everyday life.”
Schaffert-Witvliet agrees that quality of care suffers due to constant overload. If the number of cases increases during the holidays, the consequences would be devastating. She told SRF: “Everyone walks on their gums. And sadly, we have no prospect of improvement. “
