Nine major European hospitals on Tuesday (March 31st) appealed for help in the face of the drug shortage for patients with Covid-19, calling on their governments for more " cooperation " to " guarantee a regular supply " of medical products. In a letter addressed to their respective governments, these nine hospital groups, members of the European Alliance of University Hospitals, assure that their establishments will " soon run out of essential drugs " for patients in intensive care units.
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" At the current rate of consumption, stocks will be exhausted in a few days in the hospitals hardest hit, and in two weeks " for the others, continue the signatories, including the Public Assistance-Hospitals of Paris (AP-HP), King's Health Partner in London and San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. The letter, revealed by Le Monde, mentions a lack of " muscle relaxants ", " sedatives " and " analgesic drugs ", " consumed quickly and with insufficient or non-existent replenishment " due to the influx of patients with coronavirus.
“ Necessary ” international cooperation
" We are all grateful " for the " courageous and ambitious measures that regional and national authorities have taken to slow the spread of the virus ". But " the situation has evolved to the point that international collaboration and cooperation are absolutely necessary, " insists the courier. " In the absence of European collaboration to guarantee a regular supply ", hospitals " may no longer be able to provide adequate intensive care ", warn the signatories, for whom coordinated action by the European authorities is to " vitally important . "
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Several doctors and hospital groups have sounded the alarm in recent days on the lack of drugs in the intensive care unit. Asked about the subject during the questioning session with the government in the National Assembly, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran acknowledged " tensions over the stocks of a certain number of products in hospitals ". For some of these powerful drugs, like curares, propofol, midazolam or even morphine, the demand has exploded " by 2000% in the world, which creates movements of tension ", has- he explains.
The Covid-19 epidemic has claimed 29,305 lives in Europe, the continent most affected by the virus, according to a report established Tuesday at 4:20 p.m. GMT by AFP from official sources. A total of 440,928 infections have been recorded there.
