In view of the increasing number of corona infections, the German Hospital Association warns of increasing utilization of the intensive care units, which may again have to postpone operations that are not urgently needed.
"We are in a critical pandemic situation," said association chief Gerald Gaß to the editorial network in Germany.
The number of patients treated with a coronavirus infection in hospital has increased significantly within a week, according to Gaß.
Almost 40 percent more patients are in the normal ward than a week ago.
In the intensive care units it is 15 percent more.
If this development continues, 3,000 patients will be back in intensive care units in two weeks.
Restriction of normal operation expected
"Even if the hospitals can do this, it will not be able to run without restriction of regular operations," warned the head of the association.
The doctors in the clinics would then have to postpone predictable, less urgent treatments.
At the peak of the pandemic in Germany in January 2021, according to the RND, more than 5,700 corona sufferers had received intensive care.
Most of the corona patients currently being cared for in the hospital are not vaccinated against the virus, said Gaß.
He called this an “intolerable situation” for the employees who had been fighting the pandemic for 18 months under particular stress.