The healthcare sector is working at a full capacity due to the widespread of coronavirus in the country. According to the National Center for Disease Control, as of January 1, the share of health care workers totals to 3.8% among patients infected with COVID-19. Insurance companies declare that family doctors are working with a full load, but the situation is still difficult in almost all medical facilities.
In recent weeks, there is a difficult situation in terms of infecting medical staff at Evex Hospitals as well. If the number of infections does not decrease in the next two weeks, Giorgi Mindiashvili, General Director of Evex Hospitals declares, that the clinics will have to operate at the edge of their capacity.
"The infection rate of our staff is growing every week. If a month ago about 50 employees were infected per week, after January 31 their number is increased to 250 persons. In the last week a total of 750 employees became infected with COVID-19 in the last 2 weeks, which is 10% of our whole staff. This poses a problem not only in COVID-hospitals but also in normal hospitals.
Due to the increase of Omicron cases, number of appointments at the normal hospitals is decreased, so we serve patients with less staff, although finally the situation is still difficult. Then situation is more difficult in COVID-hospitals because people are working without a leave for two years. Even in these conditions, there is a lack of employees and have less resources to deal with increased appointments.
We have not come close to operating risks, we are close to the edge, but we do not go to the edge. Conditionally, if it lasts for two weeks and we do not have a decrease in the infection rate, then the situation will be more alarming and we will be on the verge of operating possibilities," Mindiashvili said.
