DSU's Arafat: In the end, it will be difficult to separate COVID hospitals from non-COVID ones

Head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) Raed Arafat has stated that it will be very difficult to separate COVID-19 hospitals from the non-COVID-19 ones and each medical unit "should adapt."

On the occasion of a conference on Friday organised by City Hall of District 4 at the site of the new Emergency Department in the courtyard of the Bagdasar-Arseni Hospital, Arafat was asked by journalists if he takes into account reducing the number of COVID-19 support hospitals, he replied: "The lower the number of cases, the more these hospitals return to a normal activity, in the end it will be very difficult to separate support hospitals, COVID hospitals from non-COVID hospitals, in the end, every hospital has to adapt, especially for the second wave, we have time to adapt for the future and these will be the rules which will be discussed with all hospitals at the level of the Ministry of Health and epidemiologists, in terms of the emergency wards and emergency services, we will collaborate with colleagues from the Health Ministry to solve these problems."

He said many emergency units have rebuilt their routes since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

"They already have a triage area outside, patients who have a fever, with respiratory problems, do not enter to mix with the rest of the patients, but some routes must be made permanent, other routes which now are temporary may need to be solved so that they become permanent," Arafat said.

According to him, the routes must be adapted for a larger number of patients who will come to the emergency wards in the coming months.