Hospitals ready to handle increase in hospitalisations due to Centaurus

Our hospitals are ready to handle any possible increase in hospitalisations due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the latest Omicron subvariant, dubbed “Centaurus” and known as BA.2.75 in the scientific community, said Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela.

He told reporters on Saturday that all relevant decisions were taken on Friday during the meeting of all parties involved.

The Health Minister said COVID will be around in the next months, so they need to find a formula for hospitals to remain open when hospitalisations increase. He added the State Health Services Organisation SHSO, unions and nurses’ associations, all agreed on the way to handle COVID cases.

He further added that hospitals are ready and if there is an increase in hospitalisations due to the new subvariant, “we will handle them”.

According to the minister, the efforts will concentrate on helping alleviate the number of people visiting the Emergency Rooms, adding that older people will be provided help before they arrive at the ER, mainly from their personal doctors or nurses in order to find out if they really need hospitalisation. At the same time, decisions were taken to expedite PCR testing at hospitals.

He also said that departments which do not pose great risk will be able to handle COVID patients instead of designating a whole ward for COVID cases.