Bucharest hospitals have beds available for Covid-19 patients, health minister Nelu Tătaru told television station Digi 24. 

He was asked about the issue as hospitals in the capital have seen their available beds for Covid-19 patients fill up quickly. The capital recorded 301 coronavirus cases on October 1 and 405 on September 30. Romania recorded more than 2,000 coronavirus cases on October 1, for a second day in a row.

Tătaru explained that more than 550 coronavirus patients were admitted to intensive care units, and 176 of them required intubation.

“We have over 550 cases, we have 176 intubated patients, the others have various types of respiratory insufficiency […] The attending doctor decides if they remain in the beds equipped with the mechanical ventilator or if they are moved to intermediary therapy, with an additional oxygen supply. […] There were times when we had to send intensive care patients from Bucharest to neighboring or other counties that had available beds,” Tătaru explained.

Tătaru also said talks were ongoing to make the intensive care unit of the Witting Hospital in Bucharest operational. Television station Digi 24 reported that the unit, which has 16 new beds and ventilators for coronavirus patients, cannot be used because of a shortage of medical staff.

(Photo: Octav Ganea/ Inquam Photos)

simona@romania-insider.com