Triage due to Corona: Cancer researchers are sounding the alarm about supply problems

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Treatment room for radiation therapy: Urgent operations are already being postponed

Photo: Sebastian Gollnow / picture alliance / dpa

German cancer researchers see patient care at acute risk. The German Cancer Research Center, the German Cancer Aid and the German Cancer Society announced on Tuesday that two thirds of the cancer centers surveyed no longer had the capacity to take in other people affected. Accordingly, the situation at 18 large university cancer centers was queried.

"The supply capacities of the centers are almost exhausted, the staff work under maximum load," says the message.

If the number of corona infections rise again, as is feared because of the spread of the Omikron variant, "we must expect a renewed increase in patients who need intensive medical care," warned the Chairman of the Board of the German Cancer Research Center, Michael Baumann.

The "silent triage"

"The intensive care units can simply no longer accept anyone - this applies to both corona patients and people with other serious illnesses," he added. "If this happens, triage becomes part of everyday hospital life." It is more important than ever to ensure adequate supply capacities in clinics and hospitals, especially in cancer centers, for cancer patients.

The President of the German Cancer Society and Medical Director of the Clinic for Internal Medicine at the Ulm University Hospital, Thomas Seufferlein, referred to experiences from his everyday work.

»As the medical director of a university clinic, I am confronted on a daily basis with the fact that due to the enormous amount of care required for Covid-19 sufferers, there are personnel bottlenecks in inpatient cancer care, urgent operations are postponed or patients leave the intensive care unit early after cancer surgery have to because their bed is urgently needed. "

"We have to be aware that overcrowded intensive care units due to Covid-19 lead to an unwanted prioritization of the patients to be treated - and thus to silent triage," added Seufferlein.

The three organizations appealed to the population: "Please get vaccinated, regardless of whether it is the first, second or third vaccination." The contact restrictions and other measures to contain the pandemic must also be complied with - "especially now with regard to the upcoming Public holidays".

The number of new infections must fall "in order to be able to adequately care for all seriously ill patients," warned the chairman of the board of the German Cancer Aid, Gerd Nettekoven.

he / AFP