Luis Escobar / La Paz
The intensive care units are overwhelmed and began to reject seriously ill patients due to the growing demand. To avoid further contagion from Covid-19, the Departmental Emergency Operations Committee (COED) reduced the capacity to 50% and defined that the hours for the consumption of alcoholic beverages will be until 10:00 p.m., among three other key measures.
“10 days ago the 15 beds were enabled and occupied in a weekend. Every day between five and six daily interconsultations arrive that are rejected because there are no more beds. Not all requests are due to covid, there are also patients who need intensive care for other ailments,” said Alejandro Enríquez, an intensive care specialist at the Hospital de Clínicas in the city of La Paz.
According to Enríquez, the fourth wave is characterized by a greater number of mild cases, but with the same occupancy of beds. “For example, if we previously had 1,000 positive cases, 50 needed intensive therapy (5%). Now, we have 10,000 cases and we have between 55 and 60 that need intensive therapy (0.6%). The percentage is lower, but the occupation is the same as before,” he said.
A similar situation is recorded in the hospital in the North of El Alto. “We feel, for the moment, that our hands are tied as we do not have the capacity to attend to the entire population of El Alto. We not only receive patients from the city, we also receive patients from all rural communities. They are pathologies of great emergency”, said Jaime Villazante, emergency doctor of this health establishment.
Photo: Page Seven
Villazante explained that most patients arrive by mistake and because they did not agree to immunization. “Patients who did not receive the vaccine have a very poor evaluation. On the other hand, those who received the first, second or third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine have a better evolution and give us the opportunity to rescue them,” he assured.
Covid infections in the municipality of La Paz almost tripled in the last week and the intensive care rooms in municipal hospitals are 100% occupied, according to the municipal secretary of Comprehensive Health and Sports, Cecilia Vargas.
“The data at the departmental level is not the same as at the municipal level. In the city of La Paz, in the last epidemiological week, we have increased by 186%, that is, almost tripled, the number per week. This situation is due to the Ómicron bypass (in La Paz),” he said.
Mayor Iván Arias announced that, according to the epidemiological trend, infections will continue to increase. “In two weeks the crest will arrive, on Saturday we had 1,270 cases. We will be quietly between 2,500 and 3,000 per day in case we do not take preventive measures.
The COED prohibited the consumption of alcoholic beverages “in closed environments” after 10:00 p.m. In addition, 50% capacity was set for economic, sports and cultural activities. A similar capacity was recommended in classrooms of technical institutes and universities.
So that restaurants can operate with 100% capacity, the COED establishes as an incentive the entrance to the environments with the presentation of the vaccination card or a four-day negative Covid-19 PCR certificate.
The 50% capacity must also be taken into account in sports activities. In addition, participants must submit the anticovid vaccination certificate or the negative PCR test.
The municipalities of the department of La Paz must control the capacity at the Alasita fairs that are installed in their jurisdiction. In the city of La Paz, the wholesalers’ fair for this festivity has already begun on Simón Bolívar Avenue.
