COVID19: Hospital ICUs could run out of beds

Cyprus hospitals are feeling the pinch from an increase in COVID-19 patients needing to be treated in an Intensive Care Unit, with officials warning if numbers keep rising, beds will become scarce.

In comments during a visit to Nicosia’s walk-in vaccination centre at the State Fair, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas said: “Although the situation is manageable at the moment, capacity at ICU’s is not limitless.

“There might come a time when there will be no beds left to treat people”.

The number of overall patients in COVID wards dropped to 276; 95 were in a more serious condition, with 55 being in an ICU.

The State Health Services Organisation (OKYPY) current plan provides 300 beds in COVID wards and 65 in ICUs.

Hadjipantelas noted that there are also patients with other health problems who need to be treated in the ICUs and may not get the care they need.

Sounding the alarm, Hadjipantelas said: “There is one way not to run out of beds in ICUs, and that is for people to get vaccinated in order not to need to be treated there.”

During his visit to the walk-in centre, Hadjipantelas pointed out that hundreds of people were braving the heat to wait in line to get a COVID jab.

He said there is a great response by the people and called on everyone to use the opportunity to get vaccinated.

Some 1.915 million vaccines have been provided so far, adding that the percentage of fully vaccinated people is 69.9%.