Gaga: We have never had so many ICU beds in Greece (video)

December 9, 2021

Robert

“Most patients who are treated and served by the National Health System are non-COVID cases. “If in some hospitals we have issues and we increase the number of Covid beds, then surgical cases are transferred to private clinics at the expense of the public,” said Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga. Which visited the “Agios Dimitrios” hospital in Thessaloniki in the morning.

Referring to those who were intubated outside the ICU in the country’s hospitals, she said that the percentage is very small. “We are doing everything we can to move them faster,” he stressed, adding that “never in Greece have we had so many ICU beds and so much opportunity to treat patients.”

During her presence, Mina Gaga toured the hospital, while talking to staff, to be informed about any problems, but also about the new ICU created for non-COVID incidents and donated by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

According to the Deputy Minister of Health, the new ICU beds in the “Agios Dimitrios” hospital for non-COVID cases are three, aiming to increase to four, while another eight ICU beds are for coronavirus cases.

Ms. Gaga stressed that it is very important to have surgeries, and reminded that most imports in the Region are related to non-COVID cases. Specifically, in the last month, in the 4th Health District, there were 17,000 admissions for non-COVID cases and 3,000 cases of coronavirus, while the numbers are similar for the 3rd RAE, as he said.

Regarding the situation in the hospitals of Thessaloniki, Ms. Gaga stressed that there is still a lot of pressure and that it is very important that the measures are followed and that the vaccinations of the citizens continue. Responding to a complaint from employees about an operating room that does not operate in “Agios Dimitrios” due to lack of anesthesiologist, he said that “there is a general issue with anesthesiologists, so from now on the specialties needed each year will be defined and we will have more anesthesiologists.”

Asked about the complaints of the president of POEDIN, Michalis Giannakou, about “VIP” ICU and preferential selection of patients, Mrs. Gaga called them “completely false and unthinkable.”