ICU surge poses a risk of ventilator shortages in COVID 19 facilities: Health Officials

Addis Ababa, March 18, 2021 (FBC) – The growing rate of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions has posed a risk of ventilator shortages in COVID 19 treatment facilities across the country, health sector officials told FBC.

The risk is culminating related to acute shortage of spare parts of ventilators, the officials underlined.

Head of Intensive Care Unit at Eka Kotebe General Hospital, Dr. Hiruy Araya exclusively told FBC that the number of COVID 19 critical patients in the country is considerably surging, adding 65pct of patients in the facility need ventilators backed treatment.

He said all 22 beds in the critical care unit have been fully occupied by patients with severe condition, he added.

Dr. Wuletaw Chanie, Head of Millennium Referral Hospital Critical Care Unit, attributed the upsurge of critical admissions to the problems of negligence among the community.

The rise of critical care patients has also posed greater burdens on medical professionals in addition to acute shortage of ventilators, Dr. Wuletaw noted.

He added the ventilators are deteriorating due to burdens of continued services calling for firm adherence to precaution and support of stakeholders to address the problem.