The number of Covid-19 patients at Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS) has stabilized – the influx of patients continues, but it is slower than it was previously, said the hospital’s chairman Imants Paeglītis in an interview to Latvijas Radio.
According to him, the situation remains tense at the hospital. Nevertheless, hospital staff have it under control. Paeglītis hopes the number of Covid-19 patients will soon reduce so that it is possible for the hospital to start providing healthcare services to all patients equally.
At the same time the head of the hospital predicts the number of interpersonal contacts will increase after 15 November, when the lockdown ends and tight restrictions are lifted. This means drop of hospitalized Covid-19 patients will no longer be as notable.
RAKUS has 530 beds reserved for Covid-19 patients. If need be, the number of beds will be increased to 650-700.
When asked about vaccination of hospital staff for Covid-19, Paeglītis admits the hospital has about 100 employees who have yet to vaccinate. According to him, this number is not all that big. Most of these people are technical personnel. Many of them are waiting for a conclusion from a medical council as to whether or not there could be a medical reason why they cannot or should not vaccinate. Some have agreed to vaccinate if the medical council recommends vaccination.
When asked to predict when RAKUS could restore scheduled service provision, the manager of the hospital said the number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients will remain relatively high at least until Christmas. This means scheduled services may return no sooner than next year.
RAKUS manager: the influx of Covid-19 patients has become slower
