Because of the Omikron variant: Freising Clinic is preparing for the "worst scenario"

Created: 12/27/2021, 05:25 AM

From: Helmut Hobmaier

In order to relieve the emergency department, rooms in the C-building have been prepared for the case of massive patient access.

© dpa / Julian Stratenschulte

The Freising Clinic is planning for the worst case scenario: a mass volume of corona patients due to an Omikron wave.

And those are the details.

Freising

- Despite falling incidence: At the Freising Clinic, there is no sign of an easing of the corona situation.

26 infected Covid patients currently have to be cared for (as of December 23), eight of them in the intensive care unit (four are ventilated).

But it could get worse: Against the background of an impending Omikron wave, the clinic is preparing for the worst - "in the event that we are flooded with infected people," as clinic spokesman Sascha Alexander says.

Klinikum Freising has an emergency plan: the isolation ward can be expanded

The situation is already tense - and has been for weeks.

The fifth level houses the corona isolation ward with currently 18 Covid patients.

There are still possibilities for expansion, if necessary you could also switch to other levels.

A year ago you had to do this once - when up to 67 Covid patients had to be cared for.

“Basically, that would be nothing new,” says Alexander.

The intensive care unit has now also been expanded - with two monitoring beds, located near the stroke unit.

The clinic is well prepared - even over Christmas: "The duty roster is in place," reports the spokesman.

The personnel situation is still tense, but operations and patient care are secure.

(By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

There could be some sort of second emergency room

Nevertheless: The clinic is also preparing for a disaster that could occur if, for example, a very high number of infected people would arrive due to the highly contagious Omikron variant.

For this "case of the worst", rooms have been prepared in the old building (C-Building).

In an emergency, a kind of second emergency room could be set up there, which would then only be reserved for arriving Covid patients.

The clinic would provide the staff, but this corona emergency room would be operated by the Bavarian Red Cross or the Johanniter.

A maximum of 22 Covid patients could be admitted there and also cared for, as Alexander explains.

This prevented the actual emergency room from being overloaded.

That would be something like the “last bastion,” he says.

"But we are still a long way from it, since the isolation ward can still be expanded".

But in this way you are prepared for the “worst scenario”.

The second emergency room could be activated very quickly.

All clinics would have to have an emergency plan in their drawer for a mass volume of patients, reports Alexander.

A year ago, for example, a tent city for corona patients was set up at the Erding air base.

Flood of gifts for clinic staff

No Omikron case has yet emerged at the clinic. But one looks "with excitement and concern" at the time after the Christmas holidays, says Alexander. There is great concern that as the number of contacts increases over the holidays, the incidence could rise again - and Omikron will then take over the helm. The performance of all 900 clinic employees is being honored these days with a flood of gifts: small and large monetary donations are received, with which private individuals and companies thank for the ongoing commitment in the pandemic.

For example, 40 boxes of gingerbread have just arrived.

"Everyone is very happy about that, of course," says Alexander.

An extensive visit from District Administrator Helmut Petz, who personally thanked all departments, was also very well received.

The clinic's press spokesman is also on duty: these days he is acting as the Christ Child, who can give presents to a fairly large family of 900 women and men.

The clinic relaxes visiting regulations on the Christmas holidays

At the clinic, the visit regulation over the Christmas holidays will be relaxed: On 24./25.

From 1 to 6 December, patients can be visited in the normal wards for a maximum of one hour between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

However: only one visitor per day and patient.

The 2G plus rule must be observed: Those who want to visit patients must be vaccinated or have recovered and also need an up-to-date, certified rapid antigen test.

Patients in the isolation ward cannot be visited (exception: deaths).

Visits to the intensive care or palliative ward as well as obstetrics and the stroke unit only after consulting the ward.

You can find more news from Freising and the region here.