Coronavirus: Two patients in newly opened Paphos Covid ward

Two coronavirus patients are bring treated in the Paphos general hospital Covid ward after it reopened for the second time during the coronavirus pandemic this week to help relieve the strain on state hospitals.

Following a recent surge in coronavirus related hospitalisations an additional 22 beds were made available on Thursday at the Paphos-based state hospital for the treatment of coronavirus patients, its director Dr Spyros Georgiou told the Cyprus News Agency.

Currently, the Covid ward is treating two patients, one of whom is from Limassol.

Georgiou said the opening of the Covid ward in Paphos is expected to relieve the strain on state hospitals nationwide.

He added that the state health services organisation (Okypy) is expected to make available another 22 beds for Covid patients on Tuesday, raising the ward’s capacity to 44 patients.

The Covid ward is staffed with medical, paramedical and nursing staff, who are dedicated to the health of the patients and aim to provide the best service to them, Georgiou added.

In charge of the ward is Dr Adonis Eleftheriou, the director of the pneumological department of the hospital.

As of Thursday, a total of 283 patients were being treated for Covid-19, of whom 83 were reported to be in a serious condition.

Of the 83 in a serious condition, 39 were intubated, two were in ICU without intubation, and a record 42 patients were in a high-dependency unit.

The Famagusta reference hospital for coronavirus had 64 patients, Nicosia general 86, Limassol 83, Larnaca 42, Paphos one and Makarios seven.

Despite a rise in hospitalisation, the situation in state hospitals is manageable, health services organisation (Okypy) spokesman Charalambos Charilaou said.

The health ministry said 88.3 per cent of those in hospital were not vaccinated.