Despite high Covid 19 case numbers: The Cantonal Hospital of St.Gallen wants to resume normal operations soon. Only the many staff absences cause concern.
Only that many nurses themselves are currently ill, could bring the hospital operation once again to the limit.
For weeks, the number of new infections in Switzerland with the coronavirus has been at an all-time high. For Monday, the canton of St. Gallen recorded.Gallen 1637 new infections, the canton of Thurgau 920. In total, the canton of St.Gallen currently treats 66 patients who have Covid-19, but only six of them are in the intensive care unit. In the neighboring canton of Thurgau, 40 corona patients are currently hospitalized, seven of them in intensive care. In St.In the canton of Gallen, two people have died in the last 14 days due to corona, while in the canton of Thurgau there were seven.
The number of cases has been at a record high in eastern Switzerland for some time now, but despite this, the cantonal hospital in St. Gallen is not giving itself up.Gallen confident. Philipp Lutz, media officer at the cantonal hospital, says: "We are optimistic that there has been no increase in Covid 19 hospitalizations at the cantonal hospital so far, despite the high number of infections. There is even a downward trend in our figures."
The situation has clearly eased at the cantonal hospital
This applies not only to the situation as a whole, but especially to the intensive care unit: "As far as the number of Covid 19 patients in the intensive care unit is concerned, the situation has eased in recent weeks at the Cantonal Hospital," says Philipp Lutz. Am 17. In January, ten patients were still being cared for, now six are in the intensive care unit. A striking difference can be seen here. "For comparison: at the end of 2020/beginning of 2021, sometimes more than 20 corona patients had to receive intensive medical treatment at the same time during several days and weeks," says Lutz.
However, there are still new admissions of Covid 19 patients with severe courses of the disease. In some cases, the cantonal hospital St. Gallen is taking over the intensive care unit.Gall these patients also from other cantons. In addition, many other people are being treated in the intensive care unit due to another illness or after an accident. Lutz says:
Of course, further developments will be closely monitored. There are occasional phases with a slight increase in the number of patients who have to be isolated in a ward because of covid 19 disease, but the overall trend here is also downward.
Hospital staff absent due to illness
In principle, of course, these patients have less severe courses than covid patients in the intensive care unit, and they only have to remain hospitalized for a few days. In some cases, however, they could also become more seriously ill and would therefore have to stay longer. There are also still isolated deaths. In addition, there are also covid patients who can be transferred to a ward after a stay in the intensive care unit.
According to Philipp Lutz, it does not currently look as if the situation in the hospital will get dicey again. Ultimately, however, the question of capacity is and will always be linked to the number of specialists available. Lutz says in addition: