Hospitals in Groningen, and the rest of the North, are preparing for a possible ‘third wave’. The pressure in hospitals remains high and may increase in the coming weeks. Work is underway on a plan for the third wave, possibly with a ‘black scenario’, in which healthcare providers must choose who will and who will not receive treatment.
According to the Acute Care Network Northern Netherlands, the number of infections in the north of the country is now comparable to the number of infections in the rest of the Netherlands, namely “stable high”, with about 180 infections per 100,000 inhabitants, GIC.nl reports.
The expectation is that this will not decrease in the coming weeks, and may even increase further, according to the Network. Already within the northern region, patients are regularly transferred between hospitals to distribute the pressure on hospitals as evenly as possible.
Third wave
In the meantime, Groningen and other northern hospitals are making preparations for a third wave. “In this way we hope to be well prepared if the pressure on the care chain increases further,” said the Acute Care Network Northern Netherlands.
Vaccinations
According to the Network, the first tentative results of the vaccinations can now be seen. The number of infections in nursing and care homes where most of the clients and employees have now been vaccinated is decreasing.
