The Rehabilitation Clinic Hospital in Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca) will be transformed into a medical unit for COVID-19 patients, due to the increasing number of new coronavirus cases in Romania the Kolozs (Cluj) County Committee for Emergency Situations decided last week. According to Cluj County Prefect Mircea Abrudean, if necessary, the hospital is prepared to receive patients with COVID-19 from other areas of the country, not only the Kolozs region.
“The arguments that led us to this decision are the following: [The building has] a large capacity, a total of 400 hospital beds, functional epidemiological circuits, hospital rooms with separate bathrooms, and it is near the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in case a patient needs to be transferred to intensive care,” Mircea Abrudean explained.
The prefect pointed out that the Rehabilitation Clinic Hospital and its personnel have experience with COVID-19 treatment, as they dealt with people infected with coronavirus before. “Naturally, we will increase the personnel with internist, infectious disease and pulmonologist doctors to ensure an efficient cycle of medical staff,” the prefect told rfi.ro.
According to rfi.ro, the hospital in Kolozsvár is prepared to take over patients from the Hospital for Infectious Diseases, but also from anywhere in the country, if necessary. “The hospital allows this, it has the necessary infrastructure; it also has compressed air and oxygen, so we are able to open one or two units, if it is needed. We face a problem at a national level, and there is a possibility that we might have to accept patients into intensive care from Kolozs or other parts of the country. The problem is that the country does not have the necessary infrastructure for intensive care; there are three or four centers with large units. Kolozsvár is one of these. So if it is necessary, we will be in solidarity with the rest of our colleagues in the country,” the prefect of Cluj declared.
Abrudean also stressed that the emergency and treatment center won’t be shut down. “The Arrhythmology Department, unique in the region, with a year-long waiting list, will also continue to operate. The epidemic is growing, and although we tried to avoid the opening of a third COVID-19 hospital, we cannot risk being left without places for positive patients,” Abrudean also said.
According to the decision of the Cluj Committee for Emergency Situations, the Rehabilitation Hospital will be turned into a COVID-19 hospital starting August 5.
Title image: Kolozsvár is one of the few centers in Romania with large intensive care units. Photo: Facebook/Spitalul Clinic de Recuperare
