Several oncologists are now worried that hospitals may have to cut back on cancer treatment to treat coronary heart disease. One of them is Andreas Stensvold, head of the cancer ward at Østfold Hospital.
4689 people have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease in Norway in the last 24 hours. On Friday, 383 corona patients were hospitalized, twelve more than the day before. 118 of the patients are in the intensive care unit, and among them 70 are on a respirator.
– Planning for horror scenario
In many other European countries, the capacity of the intensive care unit has been so blown up that they have had to postpone operations on cancer patients. The European Cancer Society is seriously concerned after a survey shows that around 100 million cancer studies have been canceled during the pandemic. More than half of all cancer patients have experienced delays in treatment, due to congestion in the health care system and the risk of infection.
In Norway, cancer treatment has been shielded during the entire pandemic, and patients have received treatment as planned. Now the hospitals around Norway are planning for the horror scenario, according to Stensvold.
– We may have to remove personnel from the cancer wards to provide the necessary health care to those who come in, Stensvold says.
– A LOT OF WORK: Andreas Stensvold, head of the cancer ward at Østfold Hospital, talks about working weeks of 70-80 hours. Photo: Tommy Storhaug / TV 2
–
– If the infection and hospitalizations continue to increase, what will be given priority?
– Then we must prioritize away those who can not recover from their cancer. It can be any type of cancer with spread. Then, in the worst case, we may not be able to offer them chemotherapy. Then we may find ourselves in a situation where we have to stretch the interval between chemotherapy regimens in those who are to recover from their cancer, and that will have an impact on their quality of life, says the oncologist.
– It is then the very sickest who are downgraded?
– Yes. We must be so cynical to say that those I manage to cure, I must prioritize, I think everyone understands that. We will have a very hard priority, also on a respirator if capacity in Norway begins to explode. So this is serious, he emphasizes.
– Praying on my knees
The oncologist says that they at his department are able to get it going so far, but that the situation is demanding due to a lot of illness among employees and many hospitalized with, among other things, respiratory diseases.
– We have over 100 percent occupancy and a high pressure before Christmas at our outpatient clinic where we provide chemotherapy treatments, says the superior.
Recently, the vaccination figures have gone in the right direction. Around 20,000 people have taken their first dose of vaccine in the last two weeks. At the same time, municipalities report that they struggling to get people to come to take the second and third dose.
Stensvold thinks it is good that we do not have vaccine compulsion in Norway, but admits that it is frustrating to see that many of those who are now hospitalized are unvaccinated, at the same time as the hospitalization numbers threaten cancer treatments.
– Of course some thoughts go through me. I think this is sad. I must have respect for the fact that you do not want to be vaccinated, but I pray on my knees, vaccinate you now, so that we do not get into a situation where we have to prioritize who should be put on a respirator, he says.
– Follows the situation day by day
Minister of Health Ingvild Kjerkol (Labor Party) writes in a statement that she understands that the pressure is demanding for employees, patients and relatives. She adds that at present only the operations that can wait are postponed.
– Minister of Health Invild Kjerkol (Labor Party), says that they follow the situation in the hospitals day by day. Photo: Marte Christensen / TV 2
–
– The hospitals have contingency plans where various measures are implemented in the event of capacity challenges. It is important to ensure proper operation. Operations that include cancer, children and immediate care are not covered by this. These are professional assessments that the hospital makes. Urgent operations are still being carried out.
She adds that the ministry is following the situation day by day and will implement stricter measures if necessary.
–
