Number of ICU units, children’s doctors insufficient in Greece

The number of intensive care units (ICU) and children's doctors are insufficient in Greece which is facing a major spike in respiratory infections, health experts said Tuesday.

Nikos Kapravelos, ICU director of the Papanikolaou Hospital in the northern port city of Thessaloniki, said urgent preventive measures should be taken in schools to limit the spread of viruses, the flu and the coronavirus because there are not enough ICU beds and children's doctors.

He told private broadcaster OPEN TV that the rise in respiratory infections led to the collapse of health systems in many European countries, including the UK, and argued that Greece can experience a similar situation in two months if preventive measures are delayed.

Kapravelos emphasized that the situation in northern Greece, where 30% of the country's population lives, is particularly grim.

"We only have eight ICU beds for children, and they are 100% full. We should have at least 10 times more, according to the EU standards," he said, noting that even if necessary medical-technological equipment is purchased, there are not enough medical professionals to staff an additional children's ICU at his hospital.

Similarly, Andreas Iliadis, director of the children's ICU at Patras University Hospital, noted his facility suffers from a lack of sufficient doctors and ICU beds.