Vitebsk Regional Hospital will return to its normal operating mode from May 25
According to the minister, the situation in the northernmost region of the country initially developed unfavorably because the seasonal rise in respiratory infections and pneumonia was compounded by coronavirus infection, which required the repurposing of bed capacity to provide all necessary medical care to those in need.
"If at the peak we sometimes saw more than 200 cases of pneumonia per day, now these indicators have dropped to 20-30 cases in Vitebsk, which is essentially approaching the natural norm. I think that in the near future their number will continue to decrease, considering that seasonal diseases are receding, albeit with some delay. This was due to a warm winter and a cold spring, but according to forecasts, the weather will recover, and seasonal respiratory infections will subside," stated Vladimir Karanik. Accordingly, the number of residual pneumonias recorded annually will also decrease.
In Vitebsk, the minister studied on-site the work on returning the city's hospitals to normal operation, including visiting some of them. For example, the Vitebsk Regional Oncology Center is already providing assistance to specialized patients. "We have just reviewed the Vitebsk Regional Hospital, where some departments were repurposed for pneumonia treatment. Hospitalization in them has already ceased, final disinfection will be carried out this weekend, and normal operation will begin on Monday," the minister stated.
In the near future, all other hospitals in the city will be gradually withdrawn from the program of providing care to patients with pneumonia. It is planned that in the future, one basic institution will remain as the most equipped and prepared for these purposes – the building of the Emergency Hospital, where respiratory support points are provided, and equipment and experienced medical staff are concentrated.
Vladimir Karanik noted that similar work is also starting in the capital. "We are already cautiously engaged in the reverse process of repurposing hospital beds in Minsk, returning medical institutions to normal operation," the minister emphasized. "The number of clinics that will treat pneumonia will gradually decrease, as we believe that the difficult stage has already been passed."
"But I repeat: the situation is under control. We have formed a sufficient bed capacity, and even on the most intense days, only about half was used, and the number of ventilators used to provide assistance to patients with pneumonia never exceeded 15% of the available fleet," the minister added.