At Kurume University Hospital in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, the number of beds dedicated to patients with the new coronavirus has been increased from the 3rd.
Kurume University Hospital is a medical institution equipped with many ICUs = intensive care units, and treats critically ill patients with the new coronavirus.
Up until now, we have been treating with 8 dedicated beds, but from the 3rd, we have increased the number of dedicated beds by 8 to 16 beds.
On the 2nd, with the increase in floor space, nurses newly assigned to a dedicated ward participated in training for patients with the new corona.
The background of this increase in floor space is that it is difficult to accept patients whose symptoms have improved from severe illness at other hospitals in the area.
Severely ill patients whose symptoms have improved so far have been transferred to hospitals where they were hospitalized or designated medical institutions for infectious diseases. It's getting harder.
Even at Kurume University Hospital, it was not possible to transfer to another hospital and the bed was not vacant, which could hinder the acceptance of critically ill patients in the future.
The newly increased number of beds dedicated to patients with the new corona and the staff who handle them have been secured by cutting down the palliative care unit for patients with terminal cancer.
Patients who have been admitted to the palliative care unit will be accepted at a nearby hospital and will continue to be treated, thereby supporting the medical system throughout the region.
Naoto Shinami, director of Kurume University Hospital, said, "The third wave of infection is different from the first and second waves, and other hospitals are also full of infected patients. Like us. Palliative care is important for the base hospital for cancer treatment, but we would like to help community medicine by increasing the number of beds and accepting both critically ill patients and improved patients of the new Corona. "