Covid-19. Portugal reciprocates gesture and offers support to Germany
Portugal provided aid to the German government to deal with the pressure that has been experienced in intensive care units in the country, which at the end of November some hospitals are transferring patients to the Netherlands. At the time, oi questioned the Ministry of Defense on whether the sending of support was being considered, similar to the aid provided to Portugal in February by the German military. Aid was made available this Wednesday from João Gomes Cravinho’s office. “Portugal has expressed its willingness to support Germany in the response to the covid-19 pandemic in that country, whether in welcoming patients in need of ICU hospitalization in Portugal, or in sending a team of doctors and nurses to Germany . The type of help it needs from the Portuguese Armed Forces or the SNS is under consideration by the German authorities,” the ministry said.
According to what hi found out, availability was demonstrated at the end of November. In the meantime, the new German Government begins its functions, leading Portugal to wait for indications on the need for support and what form. The team of doctors and nurses to be sent to Germany would, like the one that was in Portugal, consist of military personnel. In February, a team of 26 German soldiers was in charge of an intensive care ward at Hospital da Luz to which SNS patients were transferred. A mission lasted until March 23 and 16 patients were treated. At the time, the NHS had up to 900 patients with covid-19 admitted to the ICU, a pressure peak that Germany has not faced in previous waves of the pandemic. Despite being one of the countries with the most ICU beds, according to the German press, the country is facing a lack of human resources, the lack that the pandemic has exposed in the health systems of several European countries, including Portugal.