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No overloaded clinics in Bavaria - an expert explains why a new lockdown is still needed

2021-04-01T18:13:26.893Z


Bavaria's clinics are prepared for the third wave of the corona pandemic. However, there is a concern that arises from a problem that has arisen.


Bavaria's clinics are prepared for the third wave of the corona pandemic.

However, there is a concern that arises from a problem that has arisen.

Munich - The third corona wave is noticeable in the Bavarian intensive care units.

Roland Engehausen, Managing Director of the Bavarian Hospital Society (BKG), assesses the situation in an interview.

Mr. Engehausen, how is the situation in Bavaria's intensive care units?

The situation is currently still manageable.

The situation in the hospitals cannot only be measured in the intensive care units.

We are still postponing operations that can be planned because you have to keep intensive capacities available, which we now keep free for possible corona cases.

We have to postpone some interventions for the second time.


What are the clinics preparing for?


We are already in the third Corona wave * and are preparing for the fact that the intensive care units will soon be much more busy again.

But this time there is something special.

Bavaria: More younger people have Corona - that brings a new problem

In fact?


The patients in the intensive care units are getting younger.

Fortunately, this enables us to significantly reduce the death rate.

But these patients sometimes stay there much longer because they have better healing options with professional intensive care medicine.

That's good, of course, but it also requires more capacity.

Do the houses still have leeway at the moment?


Yes, capacities can still be built up in clinics.

Even if the load increased by 50 percent, we would be on a level like at Christmas.

And even if there was a little more, we could ensure care for all patients.

In addition, there are so-called “early phase B” places in rehabilitation facilities with equipment that is similar to that of an intensive care unit.

You can also ventilate there with weaning therapy, for example.

So far, these places have hardly been needed in the corona treatment.

They could perhaps be used especially for younger patients who need longer treatment.

Bavaria and the third corona wave: Why further lockdown measures are necessary

So Bavaria's clinics are prepared for the third wave?


Yes they are.

Also because we now have a good level of vaccination among our employees who have direct patient contact.

The situation in the nursing homes has improved significantly, which makes the entire system more stable.

In addition, in the first and second waves, close cooperation was established between the hospitals, through which we can cope with punctual overloads by relocating patients.

From today's perspective, I don't think we are threatened by such high death rates as in January or even pictures like last spring in Bologna.

But of course we still face an incredibly big challenge.

There are also supply problems due to the postponed treatments.

To keep these negative consequences as low as possible, further lockdown measures are necessary.

How have the employees in the hospitals deal with the constant stress for a year?


The mood has improved a little thanks to the corona vaccinations *.

What burdens our employees in the clinics, however, is the unpredictability.

For one thing, because we had hoped to return to the normal treatment routine in the spring.

At some point we have to get out of this permanent crisis mode.

But it is also stressful that the financing for 2021 has not yet been clarified.

The fact that we still have to fight with the federal government to compensate for our loss of income costs resources and nerves unnecessarily.

In the fight against the third wave of corona, Prime Minister Markus Söder has meanwhile called for a stricter line and criticized the “patchwork” of corona measures in Germany.

* Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-04-01

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