Approximately half of Osaka University Hospital ICUs have corona beds and are concerned about the impact on general patients

As the number of beds to accept patients with the new coronavirus is imminent in Osaka, the Osaka University Children's Hospital has increased the number of beds for critically ill patients from 10 to 14 at the request of Osaka Prefecture from the 12th. is.

However, hospitals are raising a sense of crisis when it affects the surgery and treatment of general patients.

In Osaka, the number of patients with the new coronavirus has increased rapidly, and as of the 11th, 188 out of 205 beds for critically ill patients who can be hospitalized immediately, or 91.7% of the total, are very tight. We are requesting each hospital to increase the number of seriously ill beds.

In response to this, the Osaka University Children's Surveillance Hospital in Suita City, Osaka, began operation on the 12th by changing the four beds in the ICU = intensive care unit to severe corona beds.

This reduced the ICU to 16 beds, with approximately half of the 30 ICUs assigned to corona patients.

In 2019, the number of patients who used the ICU during surgery for severe heart disease and advanced cancer exceeded 1,200, and the ICU is essential for maintaining hospital function.

If the number of ICUs continues to be limited, it will be difficult to make a difficult decision, saying that surgery that requires advanced technology, which is difficult in other hospitals, will have to be postponed or reduced.

Yuichiro Toki, director of Osaka University Children's Surgical Hospital, said, "In the ICU, patients who would die in a few weeks without surgery are waiting for their turn. I can't imagine how bad it will be. I have a limited amount of time for advanced cancer and severe heart disease, so it is impossible to continue the current system for a long period of time. " ..

In addition, Toki Hospital Director has expressed concern that patients with the new coronavirus will need more care, and that increasing acceptance will make it difficult to balance with general medical care with the same number of medical staff as before.

Toki Hospital Director said, "If you do not lower the medical care level of Corona or the general medical care level, the number of medical staff will be impossible. How much should we sacrifice? It is the responsibility of the hospital, but I think it is a very big problem. "