Hospitals are preparing for a sharp increase in corona patients

Work is underway around the country to equip a wave of patients with covid-19 who are in need of intensive care. New places are being developed, staff are relocated and care that is not urgently postponed to receive a wave of Corona patients.

"We hope that it will not be that big, but we must prepare for it to be huge," says Johan Styrud, chief physician at Danderyds hospital.

During the day, a large number of patients with covid-19 have been admitted. Statistics from the Swedish Intensive Care Register show that the number of intensive care patients has increased steadily since the beginning of the month. On Friday, the number of intensive care patients in the country increases from 43 to 55. Of these, 45 are men and ten are women.

Increased number of intensive care units

Continuing the increase at the same pace, Johan Styrud fears that the care will be in a situation where, at the beginning of next week or early next week, patients will not be able to provide full care.

"It would be a huge crisis here on the floor if we were to get there, because then you have to discuss which patients you must choose," he says.

Danderyd's hospital has increased the number of intensive care units from normal six to ten. SVT News has asked the country's 21 regions how many extra places they can get. Of the eighteen who responded, four state that they are in a good location. Seven regions respond that the work on expanding the number of places is ongoing but cannot give any figure. Five regions have not been notified because of secrecy or other reasons.

But according to Johan Styrud, capacity will be determined primarily by the availability of personnel, not equipment and places.

- Now it is important to ensure that everyone who has experience in intensive care needs to be relocated in the least way, says Johan Styrud.

"There is no care to receive"

One of those who is worried about their relatives is Lena Herman. Her parents at the age of 80 came home from a Finland cruise and then became ill with cough and high fever. Her stepfather has recently been operated on for neck cancer and is now difficult to breathe.

- They said that in normal cases he had received an ambulance but today it is a different location. There is no care available, says Lena Herman.