Bolivia: Hospitals Collapse Due to Rise in COVID-19 Cases

Bolivia’s Health Workers Union leader Fernando Romero Monday said that about 20 of Bolivia's 34 hospitals collapsed due to COVID-19 admissions and personnel infections.

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"Over 300 colleagues have been infected with coronavirus, and there is no choice but to do high-level disinfection and close for a couple of days, in addition to replacing colleagues with other colleagues, so there is a need for more contracts and supplies", Romero stated.

Several hospitals in La Paz ceased admissions due to a lack of personnel and biosecurity equipment. The Thorax Hospital ceased consultations after seven doctors, and a nurse tested positive for the virus. The Pediatric and Clinic installations also stopped admissions and reinforced Emergencies Units given beds occupancy.

About 36 health care workers tested positive for the virus in the Bolivian-Dutch Hospital, in El Alto. Furthermore, 90 healthcare workers were isolated in Viedma Hospital in Cochabamba, after assisting asymptomatic patients who tested negative in the first PCR exam.

Other healthcare facilities are on the verge of collapse, like San Juan de Dios Hospital in Tarija, San Pedro Claver in Montero, and Hernan Messuti Hospital in Cobija. 

"There was a planning error: the government thought that only the Covid-19 hospitals would take care of the patients, but that was not the case; they were overtaken and the population had no choice but to go to the other hospitals," Romero said. 

As of Tuesday morning, Bolivian health authorities reported 32,125 COVID-19 cases, 1,071 deaths, and 8,928 recoveries from the virus.