The Czech medical system is nearing \u201ctotal exhaustion\u201d as coronavirus patients overwhelm intensive-care units, forcing hospitals to curb other care and consider seeking help from neighboring countries, a government official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The central European nation has turned from one of the continent\u2019s most successful in containing the pandemic last spring into one of the worst-hit in terms of Covid-19 cases and deaths per capita. The escalating health crisis, repeated lockdowns and political infighting are hurting the popularity of billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis eight months before elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHealth-care capacity is close to total exhaustion,\u201d Deputy Health Minister Vladimir Cerny told reporters Tuesday. \u201cThis is an unprecedented situation in Czech history. There\u2019s no way we can ensure health-care standards now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a brief respite that allowed the reopening of stores before Christmas, the Czechs have been experiencing a spike in infections this year, including faster-spreading coronavirus variants. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday offered to check the availability of beds in German facilities near the Czech border with a view to transferring Covid-19 patients there, the CTK news service cited Babis as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cerny said he\u2019s asked the health minister to officially request help from neighboring countries, with Germany already offering to take nine Czech patients. Overall intensive-care capacity may be fully consumed in two to three weeks unless the current spike in infections is curbed, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Credit: Bloomberg<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"