Schwerin (dpa/mv) - The large hospitals in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are under severe pressure from the currently increasing number of respiratory infections. "The situation is tense and we monitor the situation every day and then evaluate how to proceed," said the Rostock University Hospital on Wednesday. However, there is no restriction on postponable - so-called elective - interventions. All patients will also continue to be treated at the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Clinic in Neubrandenburg.
In the state capital, the Helios Clinic Schwerin announced a first temporary measure on Tuesday. "From now on and initially until Friday, December 9th, all elective treatments in the Helios Kliniken Schwerin will be postponed," it said. The reason is both staff shortages and the high number of patients with respiratory infections.
In Greifswald, too, the first interventions had to be postponed, but according to the university clinic, it has not yet issued a general stop. According to a spokesman, however, you can feel that the flu wave started earlier than usual, that other respiratory diseases are circulating and that there are still corona sufferers.
Overall, he is not yet aware of any general freeze on admissions in the north-east, according to the managing director of the MV hospital company, Uwe Borchmann. Nevertheless, it helps the houses if regulations are relaxed and staff from different clinical areas can be transferred.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had asked the health insurance companies to temporarily stop checking the minimum staffing levels in the clinics because of the situation in the children's clinics. This should allow staff to be relocated.
