Klaksvík Hospital’s inpatient capacity cut in half

The sudden shortage of 50 nurses caused by the strike which started this morning has left hospital managements worrying about treatment capacity in the coming days and weeks.

Margit Stórá, COO of Tórhavn’s National Hospital said this morning that the nurse shortage will make it difficult to provide adequate treatment for all patients.

The other hospital affected by the nurse strike, Klaksvík Hospital, is experiencing similar concerns, and the capacity in the patient ward has now been cut in half.

“Our staff have been working frantically to prepare for this strike, and we now believe that the patient ward has a maximum capacity of ten inpatients, which is half of our usual capacity,” says CEO Alexandra á Dul.

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“Some inpatients have already been discharged to bring down the numbers, and more discharges will follow soon.”

Klaksvík Hospital is working with elderly care centres across the country to try and find suitable transfers of some of its inpatients.

“With regards to emergency care, we will do what we can,” she says. “Right now, we just need to adapt to the situation and take one day at a time.”

The nurse strike involves nurses working at the National Hospital’s G4 unit and the surgical department as well as nurses at Klaksvík Hospital’s patient ward and its surgical department.

Department managers and deputy managers at these wards are not taking part in the strike.

Translated by prosa.fo