Health ministry bracing for another COVID wave: almost 39,000 beds already deployed

That’s according to Deputy Minister of Health, Chief State Sanitary Doctor Ihor Kuzin, who spoke with Liga, Ukrinform reports.

"We have contracted about 250 hospitals ready to provide services to COVID-19 patients. They are divided into the first and second waves of response. Almost 39,000 beds are ready for the first wave, of which 96% have oxygen supply. About 3,000 beds provide resuscitation. Two to three hospitals have been designated in each region,” Kuzin said.

According to the health official, UAH 11.8 billion is available for inpatient care to cover such patients. In addition, on September 8, the standards for the treatment of coronavirus disease were updated in accordance with the WHO recommendations, as well as those of the European CDC Bureau, and the American CDC.

The Deputy Minister said that specialized medical equipment had also been procured, including 161 CTs and 146 X-ray scans for hospital support.

Now, according to Kuzin, resuscitation beds are occupied by 23%, beds with oxygen – by 17%, and ventilators – by 8%.

He reminded that the health care system’s max capacity for treating COVID is 90,000 beds, which takes into account hospitals of the first and second waves, as well as reserve clinics.

According to the chief state sanitary officer, when employing first and second wave hospitals, limited access to conventional medical services, untimely hospitalization and diagnosis routine, refusal of scheduled hospitalizations, etc. are all potentially possible.

As Ukrinform reported, on September 13, the Cabinet adopted amendments to Resolution 1236, which set new quarantine restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In particular, the changes stipulate that the COVID certificate will have two options, the so-called yellow or green, and will contain information about vaccination, a negative test result (valid for 72 hours) or recovery from COVID-19. The so-called yellow certificate will hold data about the first vaccination, and the "green" – about the full course.

In case the yellow level of epidemic threat is introduced, the requirements for educational facilities have been simplified. They will operate as usual if at least 80% of staff hold "yellow" or "green" COVID certificates.

At the same time, the yellow-level restrictions will not apply if all participants (attendees) and at least 80% of organizers of mass events, staff at cinemas, theaters, museums or other cultural facilities, gyms and swimming pools hold a "yellow" or "green" COVID certificate.

In the red-level threat situation, educational facilities will operate only if 100% of staff hold a "green" COVID certificate.

The resolution comes into force in seven days from the day of publication.

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