Due to the soaring number of coronavirus cases in Israel in recent weeks, more and more coronavirus wards in Israeli hospitals are full or almost full and hospitals in Israel’s capital are no longer accepting coronavirus patients, Israeli media reported on Monday
Hadassah Ein Kerem’s coronavirus ward is at 178% capacity and the hospital in general is at 119% capacity, according to a Ynet report.
The coronavirus wards at Shaarei Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem and Assaf HaRofeh in Be’er Yaakov are at 118% capacity and Sheba Hospital in Tel HaShomer is over 100% capacity. Many other hospitals across Israel are operating at close to 100% capacity .
There are no more available beds for coronavirus patients in Jerusalem with Hadassah and Shaarei Tzedek already transferring patients to hospitals in central Israel.
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According to the director of Hadassah Ein Kerem, Prof. Yoram Weiss, the reason why hospitals in Jerusalem are full (or overfull) is due to the particularly high infection rate in the capital city and surrounding towns.
“Jerusalem is a ‘red zone’ during this wave. What’s different about this wave is that the virus has hit all sectors of the population, including east Jerusalem [the Arab sector] and surrounding cities,” Prof. Weiss said. “If previously the coronavirus was in specific neighborhoods, today it’s in all the city’s neighborhoods, which had led to Jerusalem and its surrounding areas having the highest morbidity rate in Israel.”
One of the solutions that hospitals have taken in recent weeks in response to the overcrowded conditions is the release of patients in mild condition, especially geriatric patients who can be transferred to geriatric rehabilitation centers, to make room for coronavirus patients, Ynet reported. Non-emergency medical procedures hae been reduced and staff members are being transferred to coronavirus wards.
According to Sheba Medical Center Deputy Director Prof. Arnon Afek, one measure that Israel can implement on a national level to address the situation is to open more geriatric centers where patients can be transferred for treatment, freeing up valuable hospital beds.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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is the release of patients in mild condition, especially geriatric patients who can be transferred to geriatric rehabilitation centers, Please please do not end blundering like Cuomo did on this very front.