While local hospitals struggle with high numbers of COVID-19 patients, the doctors and nurses are burned out. A recent picture that went viral on social media shows an exhausted nurse from the “Sf. Pantelimon“ Emergency Clinical Hospital in Bucharest resting in a cardboard box, as all the beds and chairs in the Emergency Department were occupied by critically ill patients. (Photo source: RO Vaccinare on Facebook)

“Exhaustion… A nurse from the “Sf. Pantelimon“ Emergency Clinical Hospital is resting for a few moments between far too many serious cases in UPU (e.n. the Emergency Department). Unfortunately, all beds, chairs and tables are occupied by patients in serious condition. And? Emergencies keep coming!” - reads the message accompanying the photo shared by RO Vaccinare, which also urges people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

RO Vaccinare has previously shared images showing the extremely difficult situation at the “Sf. Pantelimon“ Hospital in Bucharest. About three weeks ago, a Facebook post talked about an overcrowded emergency room at the Bucharest hospital - 45 available beds and 50 patients waiting.

With the second-lowest vaccination rate in Europe and record numbers of new COVID-19 cases every day, Romania is still struggling to curb the fourth wave of the pandemic. (Read more: WHO to send envoy to Romania over Covid-19 outbreak)

More than 100,000 new cases of infection were confirmed by tests in Romania last week, with a peak of 16,743 daily cases reported on Tuesday, October 13. These high numbers put extreme pressure on the medical system, with a record of 1,750 patients admitted to intensive care units (ATI) on Sunday, October 17. And, as the ATI departments can no longer make room for new patients, many are also treated in Emergency Departments (UPU).

COVID-related mortality also reached record levels for Romania over the past week, the daily reports frequently announcing more than 300 deaths.  

In the meantime, slightly more people decided to get the vaccine in recent weeks, but daily numbers are still quite low - 41,566 doses administered in 24 hours (according to the October 17 report), of which 22,629 were first doses.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com