Greece enlisted two private hospitals in Athens on Tuesday in order to ease the pressure from the spike in coronavirus cases on the public health system.
The Athens Medical Centre and Hellenic Healthcare Group voluntarily offered two of their hospitals, which will begin treating coronavirus patients beginning on Thursday, Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias said.
“Now that the Athens region is feeling the biggest pressure since the start of the pandemic, we are implementing our emergency plan, uniting forces,” he added.
The Health Ministry also plans to dedicate the Sismanogleio Hospital for the treatment of Covid patients.
At the same time, it plans to take some of the pressure off other coronavirus referral hospitals by transferring non-Covid patients to the NIMTS and the Henry Dunant facility.
Pressure on Greek hospitals builds up
According to official figures, more than 90% of Attica’s 350 or so intensive care beds for coronavirus patients were full on Monday.
Capacity in its regular coronavirus wards reached 82%. Nationwide, capacity at coronavirus ICUs reached 66.5% and in regular wards 50% on Monday.
Greece recorded a total of 1,165 cases of Covid-19 on Monday, out of the 19,025 coronavirus tests that were conducted across the country during the day, bringing the positivity rate to 6.12% in Greece.
The current figure represents 23 more than the 1,142 instances of the coronavirus that were diagnosed in Greece on Sunday, just one day before.
Greece mourns coronavirus youngest victim
The announcement comes after a 37-day-old baby boy died from the coronavirus at an Athens hospital on Monday, becoming the youngest victim of the virus in the country.
The baby was receiving treatment in the children’s Hagia Sophia Hospital.
He was reportedly suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome due to Covid-19 pneumonia.
The infant, who did not suffer from any underlying disease, showed severe symptoms just a few days after birth, and experienced respiratory problems.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, expressed his condolences for the loss of the 37-day-old baby through a post on social media.
“Unfortunately today we had the youngest victim of the pandemic in our country. An infant who spent 17 of his 37 days fighting the coronavirus.
“The virus does not discriminate, but today the grief is unbearable. I express my sincere condolences to his family.”
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