Coronavirus: Larnaca Hospital’s new ward admits first two patients

Two patients with coronavirus are being treated in a newly-opened Covid-19 ward of Larnaca general hospital, the state health services organisation (Okypy) said on Wednesday.

The organisation set aside 28 beds at the hospital for coronavirus patients, following the increase of hospital admissions in recent days, said the spokesperson of the organisation Charalambos Charilaou.

“Two coronavirus patients were transferred to the hospital last night,” he said.

If necessary, 30 more beds will be added in the Covid-19 ward of the hospital.

Charilaou said the ward “has the necessary medical and nursing staff and equipment. The effort of Okypy is at this stage to send milder cases of patients so that the medical and nursing staff of the hospital can gain experience and then are sent the more serious ones.”

Initially, all the patients were sent to Famagusta reference hospital for coronavirus. However, the high number of cases accelerated the need to create additional capacity in other hospitals.

The policy of the organisation remains to “first send patients with coronavirus to the reference Hospital, then the hospitals of Nicosia and Limassol and then Larnaca” Charilaou said.

“We hope the Covid-19 ward in Larnaca will not have to be used in its full capacity so we are able to use it in case there will be an increased number of patients,” he added.

Preparations are also underway to set aside beds for the treatment of coronavirus patients at Paphos general hospital.