Romania to add 280 intensive care beds

The Health Ministry is working on making 280 new intensive care beds available in local hospitals over the next 7 to 21 days, health minister Nelu Tătaru said at the beginning of the Government’s meeting on November 18.

“After evaluating every venue […], we will also assess the endowment and staff needs to be able to make these beds available within 7 to 21 days,” Tătaru said.

He also explained that the first results of the evaluation of the local hospitals and their intensive care units would be available at the end of the week. The assessment was started after ten Covid-19 patients died in a fire at the intensive care unit of the Piatra Neamț County Hospital, in northeastern Romania, on November 14.

The minister said every hospital would receive a set of measures to implement after the evaluation.

At the beginning of November, Tătaru said 1,250 intensive care beds were available for Covid-19 patients, up from 740 intensive care beds available at the start of the pandemic.

Romania reported 10,269 coronavirus cases on November 18, while 1,174 Covid-19 patients were admitted to intensive care units.

(Photo: Liviu Chirica/ Inquam Photos)