Portugal’s Santa Maria Hospital almost ran out of intensive care beds for covid-19 patients on Wednesday, but is planning to expand its capacity, local media reported on Thursday.
The hospital, in capital Lisbon, is looking to add at least 28 ICU beds and could add up to 48.
A source from the hospital told news agency Lusa that 23 patients with COVID-19 were in intensive care and that 98 patients with covid-19 were admitted to Santa Maria’s infirmary, which has a capacity of 120 beds, but that the plan is to extend the capacity in this unit to 200 beds.
On Wednesday the hospital suspended all non-urgent surgical procedures that involved hospitalisation to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
