Emergency Room Deluged with Patients, Leading to Long Waits and Overcrowding
The emergency room at Sant’Anna hospital has been overwhelmed in recent days, with queues and wait times of up to 24 hours for patients seeking medical attention. Doctors and nurses are struggling to keep up with the influx of patients, as a combination of Covid cases and seasonal ailments has led to a surge in the number of people seeking care at the hospital.
Between Monday and Tuesday, the waits for less serious cases were particularly long, with some patients waiting over a day to be seen despite arriving with a green code. The situation has become so dire that the emergency department is struggling to discharge patients in order to free up space for those waiting on stretchers.
The overcrowding has also been exacerbated by the increase in influenza and respiratory diseases, especially among elderly patients with multiple pathologies. As a result, Asst Lariana, the local health authority, has urged the population to make appropriate use of the emergency service and to utilize resources available in the area, such as general practitioners and continuity of care services.
In addition to the strain on the emergency department at Sant’Anna, the pediatric emergency room and Valduce hospital have also reported an increase in patient numbers, with the latter seeing a rise in positive Covid cases. Overall, there are now over seventy patients hospitalized with Covid across Sant’Anna, Valduce, and Sant’Antonio Abate hospitals.
The situation has caused significant concern among both medical staff and patients, with many expressing frustration at the long waits and overcrowded conditions. As the hospital continues to grapple with the ongoing influx of patients, efforts are being made to alleviate the strain and ensure that all patients receive the care they need in a timely manner.