Regional Health Department: The "Zheleznyaki" Rehabilitation Center has started admitting patients with COVID-19 for further treatment
According to him, this is the third healthcare institution repurposed for these purposes. Previously, two regional institutions began admitting recovering patients from Vitebsk and nearby regions for further treatment – the center for medical rehabilitation of internationalist soldiers and the center for psychiatry and narcology. The total bed capacity of the three medical institutions is about 300 beds, including about 100 at "Zheleznyaki".
Mikhail Vishnevetsky noted that the situation in the region remains serious. Hospitalizations exceed discharges, and the overall incidence rate continues to grow. Doctors are currently under significant strain. This is due to two factors: a large flow of patients and a shortage of staff due to illness among personnel. Students from the Vitebsk State Medical University (VSMU) and the medical college are providing significant support to the medical staff. More than 300 young people are involved in total. They work both in inpatient and outpatient settings. Given the current epidemiological situation, 6th-year VSMU students have been granted the right to be employed as physician assistants, and 5th-year students as paramedics. They are also vested with certain powers by normative documents of the Ministry of Health to replace necessary medical personnel.