Help our hospitals and GPs to beat the Covid-19 virus

Follow the recommendations stringently

By staying at home as much as possible, maintaining one and a half metres' distance and with good hygiene, we can try to stay healthy together. By all making an effort, we can ensure that the COVID-19 Coronavirus does not reach a peak in this country. This is important, as there will continue to be enough beds available at our hospitals for people who need medical attention.

Luckily, not everyone will have to go to hospital. Most people who get the infection can let it run its course in a familiar environment at home. They will cough, sneeze, have trouble breathing and get a fever. Not fun, but they will recover in one to two weeks. The GP will prescribe the right medication for them to reduce their symptoms. That means anyone feeling ill should call their GP straight away. They will know what to do. Along with our hospitals, our GPs have put in a huge effort in recent weeks to ensure that everyone can get the right care. Your trusted pharmacist is also ready to provide advice.

What do our GPs do?

Do not go to the emergency department: call a GP first. Even if you have different symptoms to those of Covid-19: call a GP first, who will listen carefully and decide on the best course of action.

If you have mild Covid-19 symptoms, the GP will follow up on you by telephone and ask you to stay strictly isolated at home until the symptoms disappear.

If the GP believes that you need to be examined, he or she will refer you to the nearest Triage Centre, where doctors in your region provide a permanent on-call service. They have all the necessary equipment to take care of you. Do not just turn up at a Triage Centre: always follow the advice of the GP.

If the symptoms are cause for concern, the GP may decide to send you to hospital. The GP will contact the hospital where you can be admitted. This will free up doctors' waiting rooms and you will avoid any infection thanks to this system.

What are our hospitals doing?

All our hospitals have also been divided into two areas to keep the patients with a COVID-19 infection away from the others. Both the general hospital and the COVID-19 hospital have an emergency department, an intensive care department and naturally the normal hospital departments as well, so that all patients can be well cared-for. Doctors, nurses, healthcare specialists and a great many other staff are ready to give you the best possible care in all these departments.

That means anyone who breaks a leg or needs an urgent operation can go to hospital as normal without the risk of infection. There are 1,127 beds available in intensive care, along with 29,804 beds in the normal departments such as geriatrics, internal medicine or oncology.

If you have serious symptoms caused by the Coronavirus, you will be helped at the hospital’s specially equipped Covid department. Owing to the huge effort made by our hospitals, there are 1,765 beds available in intensive care with all the equipment needed, such as ventilators for the most vulnerable patients. If we cannot get the virus under control together quickly, then further new beds can be added. There are 7,641 beds ready for people who do not need intensive treatment or ventilation, especially for the treatment of patients with a COVID-19 infection. Our ambulances are also prepared for transporting patients with an infection to hospital safely.

Will our hospitals be able to care for all patients during the peak of the pandemic?

At present, we are able to provide the very best care for all patients with COVID-19, both in intensive care and in the other hospital beds. Naturally, we are also discharging patients who are able to go back home every day. That means there are still more than enough beds available across the country. Some hospitals are far busier than others. This is because there are more infections local to them than elsewhere. That is why the 112 emergency switchboards are keeping an eye to make sure new patients are distributed equally across the hospitals day and night. This keeps the situation under control for the staff as well, meaning they can rest after a heavy day or night shift before going back to work again.

Through the thorough preparations and huge efforts by all our healthcare providers, we can succeed in continuing to give everyone appropriate care at the peak of the pandemic. But we need your help for that! Follow all government recommendations stringently. This is how we can beat the virus together and prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed. Take care of yourself, as this means caring for everyone. Carry on and help our hospitals and GPs to beat the COVID-19 virus!

#togetheragainstcorona