Director UZ Brussel: “Faster policy would have had a non-urgent phasing out”
For the fourth time, hospitals in our country have to phase out non-urgent care to keep enough space available for corona patients who end up in intensive care. CEO of UZ Brussel Marc Noppen already saw the storm coming and points the finger at the slow policy in our country.
Source: Belgium
The crisis cell had started to start winding down this week. That quickly became a reality now that the Hospital & Transport Surge Capacity Committee is requesting in a circular letter to immediately postpone all non-urgent care by two weeks.
“We had already come to the conclusion that a number of activities should be phased out in order to be able to start staff in intensive care,” says Noppen. “At the time, we said with a smile: they are probably typing the letter now.”
At the UZ Brussel they are already recording admission figures that are higher than during the third wave. “We have largely avoided the second and third wave with a faster policy and this fourth certainly,” Noppen regrets. He has little understanding for political decision-making.
They were not released in Brussels at that time, so we see the paradoxical situation that the pressure in Flanders is greater than in Brussels and Wallonia. The first transfers have already taken place,” explains Noppen.
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