The summer months are often busy for Oslo University Hospital (OUS).
Outpatient clinics are closed, large parts of the wards do the same, but patients flock.
– Of course it’s hectic. We work hard to make it go around, says Jens Christian Holmberg, nurse and section leader at the emergency department at OUS.
During the summer, there is naturally increased activity outdoors among Norwegians.
– This leads to more accidents and trauma, Holmberg explains.
Another influencing factor is covid-19. Holmberg makes no secret of the fact that this characterizes the hospital admissions noticeably.
– In the last week, there has been an increase in admissions of covid patients. That is what makes it demanding, he says.
– ADMISSION: The Covid-19 virus is still a challenge at several hospitals. Photo: Chrisrémy Berrefjord / TV 2
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– The capacity is quite blown
On Wednesday, FHI announced that the hospitals must be covered on several admissions in the future.
At Ullevål Hospital in Oslo, they receive around 40 corona patients every week.
– The challenge especially here at Ullevål is the lack of private rooms. Now there are many covid patients who need it, and it is not easy for us to get, says Holmberg.
Private rooms are strictly necessary when the hospital has corona patients, where isolation is a requirement.
Recently, a number of patients with various injuries and diagnoses have also been admitted, who have also had corona.
– The capacity is quite bursting, especially at the medical clinic that takes care of most of these patients. There is not enough space there, Holmberg states.
– SOLE ROOM: Lack of solitary confinement makes the situation difficult when it comes to patients with covid-19. Photo: Chrisrémy Berrefjord / TV 2
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Last week, OUS experienced a peak in the number of admissions. At that time, 56 patients were admitted to various bed posts.
– That number consists of two groups. One group is those who are hospitalized due to covid. The second group are patients who are admitted for other reasons, but have covid. This leads to an extra burden due to infection control routines, says Iver Griner, special adviser at the communications department at OUS.
Will go beyond individual patients
The head of the Emergency Department at Oslo University Hospital, Øyvind Skraastad, points out that it is not only capacity that is a problem, but also the resource situation.
– The summer staffing is scarce and we often have a shortage of specialist nurses. There are no patients here who do not need help.
– HOLIDAYS: Emergency manager Øyvind Skraastad says it is difficult to have enough people to cover all needs in the summer. Photo: Chrisrémy Berrefjord / TV 2
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Skraastad says that the holiday settlement, in addition to high hospitalization numbers, will go beyond individual patients.
– Previously, we had a large element of heavy intensive care medicine in connection with the corona. Of course, it attracted a lot of resources and attention. This has not been the case in recent months.
Must postpone operations
It is not only in Oslo that hospitals are struggling with capacity.
St. Olav’s hospital in Trondheim has raised emergency preparedness to the yellow level due to capacity challenges, writes those on their websites.
The hospital writes that the high influx of patients, combined with a high number of patients ready for discharge, creates significant capacity challenges.
– This is a very demanding situation at the beginning of the summer holidays. When we do not get discharged patients, it means that the wards are full, and acutely ill patients who come to the emergency room stay there for too long, says hospital director at St. Olav’s hospital, Grethe Aasved in the press release.
Due to the situation, the hospital has chosen to implement a number of extraordinary measures.
– Unfortunately, we have had to postpone planned operations and hospitalizations that, after a medical professional assessment, can wait. This is a desperate situation for patients who are affected, says Aasved.
The hospital is also creating extraordinary beds so that the clinics can receive more patients to alleviate the pressure on the emergency department.
– SORRY: CEO Grethe Aasved at St. Olav’s Hospital apologizes for the inconvenience of delayed treatment. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB
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This means that patients can be placed in a corridor or that more patients are placed in rooms that are actually solitary rooms. Similar measures are also relevant in Orkdal, Røros and Fosen.
Increase in the number of infections
At Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, they also experience that it is filling up, but the situation is so far manageable.
– We have good control. We would like to have a little better surgical capacity now, because there are many who will have treatment in the next few weeks. Our employees work hard to make more capacity available, says Deputy CEO of Helse Bergen, Clara Gjesdal.
Like Oslo University Hospital, holidays at the hospital are one of the reasons for fewer beds.
– GOOD CONTROL: The situation at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen is manageable, according to Clara Gjesdal. Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB
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Gjesdal says that the number of accidents and hospitalizations varies, but in general there are more accidents when it is sunny and hot in the weather.
One thing different this year from previous years.
– It must be that there are still covid patients and other infection patients admitted, in addition to what usually comes in the summer. There has been some increase in the number of infections, especially among children. This is probably due to the fact that we have not been exposed to viral diseases in recent years, says Gjesdal.
TV 2 has also been in contact with Stavanger University Hospital and the University Hospital of Northern Norway.
Both hospitals point to a demanding situation, but say that they are following the situation closely, and will, if necessary, implement the necessary measures to ensure capacity for the patients who need it.
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