5 ms·

People seem to forget that people are still getting ill as usual, in addition to the covid cases. Hospitals still have to treat everyone they used to, in addit

• saiya-jin 7y ago
  In europe at least, all hospital switched to treating only essential procedures, basically almost anything non life threatening is postponed. It got into ridiculous situations where a friend who is an urology doctor was on paid leave for last few weeks, simply no work for them under these rules. Another friend, radiologist in a hospital heavily hit by covid, worked only 4 hours/day shifts, instead of usual 10-12 ones. So no, hospitals definitely don't treat everybody they used to, only those that would literally die if postponed. And even there sometimes they don't, ie they stopped resuscitating severe heart attacks here few weeks ago, because its too equipment-intense and uncertain. Equipment is +-same as that used for covid patients. Most of the normal workload for hospital isn't emergency, but all those non-severe treatments like dermatology, arthritis, broken bones etc. That's maybe 80% of the staff.
  • yellowapple 7y ago
    > It got into ridiculous situations where a friend who is an urology doctor was on paid leave for last few weeks, simply no work for them under these rules. Another friend, radiologist in a hospital heavily hit by covid, worked only 4 hours/day shifts, instead of usual 10-12 ones. I'm assuming specialists ain't allowed to work as generalists, then? I'd imagine that specialized doctors (like urologists) should be able to double as PCPs should the need arise (like, you know, a global pandemic). I ain't a doctor, though, so I'm perfectly willing to accept "specialist and generalist practice are too different from one another" as the answer here.