The Minister of Health Ekaterine Tikaradze talked on the number of COVID beds at the press conference held after the meeting of the Coordination Council. She has said that given the growing COVID statistics, the government is monitoring dynamics of bed loads on a daily basis, and despite the fact that today "the number of beds in the country is sufficient", additional COVID beds have already been mobilized.
"Today we decided to mobilize extra beds as the number of infected people in the capital increases. Now, meeting is held with these clinics at the Ministry of Health. However, the clinics, engaged in the management of infection with a hybrid method, will be fully involved by the end of the day”, Ekaterine Tikaradze said.
To the question - "Why have the Ministry started taking care of the number of beds or started mobilization of ventilators now", the Minister gave the following answer:
"We are not looking for beds and respirators now. We are simply adding beds to the existing COVID venues. It means that the clinic, which participated in the hybrid management of infection and had only 30 beds out of 170, will add 140 beds. It will be the full volume of the clinic’s bed fund. ", - the Minister of Health noted.
Ekaterine Tikaradze also spoke about the number of ventilators and noted that more than 150 ventilators are free in the country at this stage.
"Nevertheless, we are adding ventilators to the base of these clinics. We are announcing the number of critical patients and mortality on a daily basis, but it is not directly related to deficit of respiratory or bed resources", the Minister said.
