The mayor of Providence, evelyn mattheiindicated that as a municipality they are evaluating the possibility of advancing the winter holidays, this after confirming that the critical beds in the pediatric area of the Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital are collapsed due to the winter season.
“The pediatric critical beds in Calvo Mackenna are almost 100% occupied. A policy of reconversion of ICU beds is urgently required, for the good of our children,” said the mayor through her Twitter account.
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In addition, he added that “we are evaluating with the Health and Education teams to advance winter vacations to avoid collapse.”
Pediatric critical beds at Calvo Mackenna are almost 100% occupied. A policy of reconversion of ICU beds is urgently required, for the good of our children. We are evaluating with the Health and Education teams to advance winter vacations to avoid collapse. pic.twitter.com/mhiXMO1nfu
— Evelyn Matthei (@evelynmatthei) June 13, 2022
Expert Opinion
Regarding the measure, the dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chile, Miguel O’Ryan, specified in Cooperative Radio that the system is prepared for these cases, but that this year “our children, unlike previous years, are suddenly receiving these new viruses and there is very little previous immunity.”
He also added that “it’s not a bad idea” the mayor’s initiative, as long as you see “how to apply it and use it properly, balancing the need for our children to socialize, it’s not easy”, so “this has to be measured together and very well thought out”.
“It gives us a measure to think about whether the capacities of the pediatric intensive care unit are beginning to take over due to this peculiar year that we have of many cases of respiratory viruses,” he assured.
Meanwhile, from the Chilean Association of Municipalities (AChM) spoke its president and mayor of Huechuraba, Charles Square, who expressed that they are waiting for what the Government says, since the Ministries of Education and Health are already analyzing the situation. “The feasibility of advancing the winter holidays is one of the instruments that the ministry has to adopt if the figures consider it necessary,” he said.
“I think that should be resolved this week, because the winter vacations are scheduled for July 11 to 22,” said Cuadrado, who added that “it is a good idea to bring it forward and perhaps extend it for another week, because that week could mean the beginning of a downward curve.