| Swedish medical staff are giving citizens flu shots. © AFP=News1 |
A Bloomberg News reported on the 13th that Swedish medical staff, who were suffering from mental and physical exhaustion from coping with Corona 19 for one year, quit work in the second pandemic recently.
“The situation is terrible,” said Sineva Ribeiro, chairman of the Swedish Medical Workers’ Union.
Chairman Ribeiro explained, “In May, the medical professionals who belonged to the situation were already overwhelming, but now the number of medical personnel is smaller than in the spring, making it difficult to expand the intensive care unit (ICU).”
Unlike other countries, Sweden took loose quarantine measures according to its collective immunization strategy and eventually failed to stop the spread of Corona 19.
It is analyzed that medical workers, especially nurses, quit work because of overwork and low wages. Medical staff emerged as Corona 19 heroes, but more and more people are looking for a vacation, exhausted from long and difficult shifts. However, it is explained that the resignation is regarded as the only way out due to the lack of manpower.
According to a survey by Swedish Broadcasting TV4, the number of resignations of health care workers in 13 out of 21 areas in Sweden soared more than 500 per month compared to a year ago. A woman, who was an intensive care unit assistant nurse, said she quit her job because she couldn’t live with the basic salary she received for $3,600 for a year.
The government has acknowledged the need to recruit medical workers, but it is unclear where to get it. The capital city of Stockholm has requested additional military health personnel, but it is unclear whether the military has the resources to help. Meanwhile, it is reported that over 100 medical staff at Children’s Hospital have been relocated to the intensive care unit after postponing non-emergency surgery.
On the 12th, a neighboring country, Finland, said that it has secured space for Swedish patients who need an intensive care unit, saying they will help Sweden. However, Sweden will first secure an ICU that can be used in regions where the number of patients is small, local media reported.
According to World Omometer, Sweden currently has more than 320,000 confirmed cases of Corona 19, making it the 36th most infected in the world. The cumulative death toll is 7514. Over the past month, 1,400 people have died from Corona 19. This is very high compared to about 100 deaths in neighboring Norway and 80 deaths in Finland.
As of the 9th, in Stockholm, 99% of the 160 ICU beds were occupied.
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