[ad_1]
Portugal has long been considered a model country in the corona pandemic. The previous model has now become a tragic example. In terms of population, hardly any other country in the world has more new infections and deaths. Portugal, with around 10 million inhabitants, has registered more than 13,000 deaths related to Covid-19, almost half of them in January. The government has requested international assistance.
Will Switzerland also help Portugal during the crisis?
In view of the difficult epidemiological situation in Portugal, Switzerland has also offered support to Portugal. The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) confirmed this to SRF on Friday. Switzerland is currently in contact with the Portuguese authorities to clarify whether and how Switzerland can provide support.
We support other countries Portugal?
Germany was the first country to send aid to Portugal. A Bundeswehr transport plane carried 8 doctors and 18 nurses to Lisbon on Wednesday. In addition, 50 ventilators, 150 infusion devices and 150 hospital beds were delivered. The German team of assistants will initially work in a Lisbon hospital for three weeks.
Legend:
Germany sent 8 doctors, 18 nurses and medical resources to Portugal.
Reuters
Luxembourg, Spain and Austria have also offered help. In addition to five Portuguese Covid-19 patients in need of intensive medical care, Austria wants to accept another five patients with serious illnesses or upcoming operations, the Foreign Ministry announced on Friday. Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz wrote on Twitter that he is in contact with Prime Minister Antonio Costa.
Why is the number of cases increasing so rapidly in Portugal?
Relaxation at Christmas is responsible for the increase. Portugal wanted to get back to normal during the holidays and abruptly lifted the restrictions. The country is also severely affected by the more contagious variant of the British virus. Unlike other countries, Portugal continued to allow British tourists to enter the country during the festive period and reacted hesitantly when measures were tightened.
The health system was already in a precarious position before Corona, there was a lack of staff and intensive care beds. Hardly any other country in the EU has so few beds in intensive care units per 100,000 inhabitants. While there are around four intensive care beds for every 100,000 inhabitants in Portugal, there are just under twelve in Switzerland.
What are the effects of the high number of cases in the country?
The Portuguese healthcare system is completely overloaded. Many hospitals can barely handle the flood of patients and long lines of ambulances form in front of the clinics. The sick have to wait hours to be admitted because there are no more beds available. Some facilities no longer have enough cold rooms for victims.
Legend:
Long lines form in front of the Hospital Santa Maria de Lisboa with ambulances bringing patients.
Keystone
What is Portugal doing to avoid the collapse of the health system?
The country has created emergency hospitals and transfers patients to national islands. There has been another hard shutdown since mid-January, schools and stores are closed. Due to variants of the virus, planes from Great Britain and Brazil can no longer land.
National borders are largely closed, entry and exit prohibited without good reason. As in spring 2020, controls were reintroduced at the land border with Spain.
