All hospital beds for patients with the coronavirus in and around Brussels are full already, with the University Hospital (UZ) even transferring patients to a hospital outside the Region.
“With a few exceptions, all the beds in Brussels and the surrounding area provided for coronavirus patients are already full,” Dirk Devroey, dean at the Faculty of Medicine of the VUB was quoted as saying by Belgian media. “Plans are being rolled out in all hospitals to free up hospital rooms for coronavirus patients.”
As general practitioners are already overwhelmed, and hospitals are slowly filling, Dervoey fears that hospitals’ regular medical care may become compromised.
According to Marc Noppen, CEO of the University Hospital (UZ) Brussels, many people do not seem to realise what is happening. The authorities should put more focus on raising awareness, he said.
“I understand that people are experiencing ‘coronavirus fatigue’ and get the same message every time. But you would be shocked how many people do not realise what is happening,” he said on Radio 1 on Sunday. “We also notice this in patients: there really is still room for information and awareness-raising.”
Read more via Brussels Times
