Regional Health Department: In the Vitebsk region, hospitals use 15-20% of all oxygen outlets and ventilators
The northern region is seeing a steady daily increase in cases. Currently, the number of patients exceeds the number of recovered individuals. Vitebsk accounts for 50-55% of pneumonia and coronavirus cases in the region. The number of cases in the regional center has increased because all patients whose condition begins to become severe are transferred to medical institutions in Vitebsk.
More than 1.7 thousand oxygen outlets have been created in the region's hospitals, and there are 244 ventilators. "As of today, 15-20% of this equipment is in use. We are managing the distribution of patients, and there is no significant overload," said Mikhail Vishnevetsky.
In Vitebsk, healthcare facilities are gradually being repurposed to treat severely ill patients. Since November 2, the emergency hospital has been fully repurposed (emergency care has been redirected to the regional hospital). Since November 4, patients have begun to be transferred for further treatment to the regional center for medical rehabilitation for disabled and veteran soldiers in other countries. Starting today, the Vitebsk Regional Clinical Specialized Center will begin admitting patients with COVID-19 and pneumonia. "We are observing a large number of mild cases, and people are being treated on an outpatient basis, at home. We do not send them to the hospital because it is an open source of infection, and if a person has mild pneumonia, there is no point for them to be in the hospital. Of course, we hospitalize them if necessary," noted the head of the regional healthcare department. There are no serious outbreaks of infection in the Vitebsk region, unlike in Dokshitsy during the first wave.
According to Mikhail Vishnevetsky, medical workers are provided with personal protective equipment and medications. Six laboratories are operating in the region in a standard mode, conducting PCR tests.