The increase in positive cases in the community is reflected in the admissions of infected patients. The numbers updated by the clinical director, which refer to the time he spoke with our report, accounted for 79 patients hospitalized in the ward and three in the Intensive Care Unit of Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça dedicated to this new disease.
The suspension of visits to public hospitals in the Region, which was announced at the end of the morning, is a direct consequence of the increase in covid-19 cases that we have seen in recent days.
In the explanation given to Diario Notícias and TSF-Madeira, the clinical director of the Regional Health Service (SESARAM) states that this measure is not new and results from “an adaptation to the already stipulated SESARAM contingency plan”.
Júlio Nóbrega points out the emergence of some outbreaks within the health units, affecting patients and employees, as one of the reasons that motivated the change that came into force today and which lasts for 10 days.
Specifically, three outbreaks are at stake. One of them is the 2nd floor Hospital Dr. João de Almada, which reports to the beginning of the year and which now account for 16 patients and 11 infected professionals.
Main Hospital, the 2nd floor, with five patients and one professional, another on the 4th floor, with two patients.
The suspension of visits does not apply to some services or units, such as Intensive Care, Pediatrics, Neonatology, Neutropenic Units (with cancer patients, for example), CVA’s and Obstetrics, as well as patients in terminal stages. In these cases, as was already happening, there is tighter control and specific rules apply, which can be clarified with the different services.
The identification of cases within health units, especially involving professionals, led SESARAM to implement the strategy of ‘bubble services’, which limits the internment capacity in some areas. This circumstance is aggravated by the fact that some health professionals are complying with prophylactic isolation due to contact with positive cases or for family assistance (namely minor children), further reducing the response capacity of various services.
These circumstances lead Júlio Nóbrega to appeal to the relatives of hospitalized patients with clinical discharge, the problematic discharge calls, to welcome these people at home, in order to alleviate the pressure on health units and allow a better response to patients who really need care. follow-up.