Australia: overcrowded hospitals, no beds available, and ambulances at full capacity
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The situation in hospitals in the Australian state of Victoria is extremely serious. There is chaos. Hospitals are overcrowded and ambulances are lining up.
Last Friday, the ambulance service in Victoria reported red alert: ambulances had to go out so often that there was not an ambulance immediately available for 70 patients.
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“This is a serious problem. It’s not even winter yet,” complained Mark Putland, head of emergency services at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
https://twitter.com/risemelbourne/status/1530065745681743872
He said people in the emergency department have to wait an average of nine to 10 hours for their turn. Some patients have to wait more than 20 hours because there aren’t enough beds available.
The problems are not limited to Melbourne. Ambulances have also been unavailable in the cities of Shepparton and Bendigo. The problem is that ambulances cannot remove patients in overcrowded emergency rooms. They are forced to lie on the stretcher of the ambulance because there are simply no beds available.
In the past year, the number of patients who have to wait on stretchers has quadrupled. “Shocking,” said one paramedic, who wishes to remain anonymous because he is not allowed to speak to the media. They include people who have suffered strokes or heart attacks and need immediate treatment from a cardiologist.
Today Show reporter Christine Ahern also said women are giving birth in emergency rooms because there is a “chronic shortage of midwives.” She referred to it as a “health crisis.
A spokesman for the authorities said they expect pressure on hospitals to increase further this winter.
Why are people so sick in Australia? Wouldn’t the safe and effective vaccine ensure that hospitals are not overcrowded?
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief