Italy’s health infrastructure exposed as second COVID wave hits

ROME: The shortcomings of hospitals in Italy have been exposed as they struggle with shortage of intensive care specialists at a time when the country is hit by a second wave of COVID-19. On Tuesday, November 17, death toll rose by 731, highest since April, exposing the country’s health preparedness.

According to a study by Johns Hopkins University, United States of America (USA), Italy has recorded around four deaths for every 100 infections. This number is the third largest in the world. Influx of patients to intensive care units (ICU) has almost doubled to 3,612 since November 1. Italy has doubled the availability of ICU beds to 9,931 and has increased the number of ventilators. According to Giovanni Leoni, Vice-President of Italy, Italian order of doctors, beds and ventilators have increased while the staff figures have practically stayed the same. The available staff is already under a lot of pressure and this is the biggest problem right now, he added.

The health workers in the country are discriminated as they are believed to be the carriers of novel coronavirus. According to a survey by Grasselli and colleagues in Lombardy, almost 25 per cent of the 627 medics who were interviewed across the region have been the targets of discrimination or aggression.