High staff shortages and more patients in the normal wards: the situation in the clinics is still serious

Created: 03/10/2022, 06:30

By: Andreas Steppan

The care of Covid patients on the normal ward is also associated with a great deal of effort.

The symbolic image shows a nurse putting on her protective clothing.

© DPA

Although there are fewer patients in the intensive care unit, there are more in the normal wards.

In addition, there are high staff shortages.

Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen – Higher infection rates, but far less severe courses: The Omicron variant has changed the corona situation.

This is reflected in the hospitals in the region.

However, the challenges are still high, as clinic representatives report.

Only 10 to 15 percent of intensive care beds are occupied by corona patients

The situation in the intensive care units has eased, explains Dr.

Martin Dotzer, medical coordinator for the clinics in the districts of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Weilheim-Schongau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

“At the peak of the delta wave, over 50 percent of the intensive care beds were occupied by corona patients.

We have now been at a constant level of 10 to 15 percent for three to four weeks.”

More current news from the region around Bad Tölz can be found here.

Now significantly more corona patients in the normal ward

On the other hand, the number of Covid patients in the normal ward has increased significantly.

That had always been over 100 in the clinics in the three districts in the past 14 days.

According to Dotzer, on Tuesday the value was 108, and even 120 at the peak of the omicron wave. "At Delta, the maximum number was 85."

What has also changed: The corona patients in the normal ward now have to be treated for a much shorter time, on average seven to ten days instead of three to four weeks as before.

Clinic operations can be “just about” maintained with 120 isolation patients

In addition to patients who were admitted because of their corona infection, there are also those who were diagnosed with a Covid infection during another stay in the hospital, says Dotzer.

He cannot exactly work out the distribution.

But from a clinical point of view, that doesn't matter.

"In any case, there is an obligation to isolate, the effort for the clinic is increased, and it ties up staff." In this respect, operations on the wards can be "just about maintained" with a total number of 100, maybe 120 isolation patients, says Dotzer.

"But we don't need much more." Especially on weekends when there is an increased number of emergencies, "it gets tight", says the doctor who works in the Murnau accident clinic.

also read

Ukraine negotiations: Russia with a sudden change of course - Zelenskyj "ready to take certain steps"

Ukraine pushes for more sanctions and changes its view on NATO membership.

Russia announces a change of course in war talks with Ukraine.

The news ticker.

Ukraine negotiations: Russia with a sudden change of course - Zelenskyj "ready to take certain steps"

Asklepios Stadtklinik benefits from a high vaccination rate for staff, but there are still failures

There are also staff shortages.

Christopher Horn, spokesman for the Asklepios city clinic in Bad Tölz, explains that "we benefit from a very high vaccination rate among our staff".

But there are diseases.

“In addition, we are particularly concerned about the quarantine rules in kindergartens and schools.

Many employees have to pick up their children at short notice and then look after them at home,” says Horn.

This is one of the most common reasons for failures.

The situation is also serious in the district clinic

Ingo Kühn, managing director of the Wolfratshausen district clinic, reports a “very high level of sick leave among the staff”.

The company can only be maintained "through the very high level of motivation of our employees - in all areas", he praises.

Accordingly, Kühn currently classifies the situation of the district clinic as “serious”.

Horn also says for the Tölz hospital: “The burden on everyone involved is still very high.” According to Horn – as of Tuesday – three corona patients were treated in intensive care and 19 others in the normal ward in the city clinic.

In Wolfratshausen there were one intensive care unit and 15 normal ward patients with Covid-19 on the same day.

In view of the increasing number of infections: "It's not over yet"

The clinic representatives hope that the peak of the omicron wave has also been reached for them.

The development of hospital occupancy follows the incidence with a time interval of about ten days, says Dotzer.

With a view to increasing infections again - the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen was in second place nationwide on Wednesday with an incidence of 2868.2 - he also says: "It's not over yet."

Our Bad Tölz newsletter keeps you regularly informed about all the important stories from your region.

Sign up here.