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Romania, one of the poorest countries in the European Union, is seeing an increase in the number of COVID-related deaths as a “catastrophic” fourth wave has set in.
It also has one of the weakest vaccination campaigns against the virus in Europe.
In several hospitals in Bucharest and the northeastern city of Iasi, lines of ambulances wait outside hospitals for beds to become available, according to media and social media posts.
Often, intensive care beds only become free because their previous occupants have died.
Figures released Friday showed the highest death toll from the pandemic reported in a day, with 385 people succumbing to the virus.
“If the current flow continues, in a day or two the health system will collapse because we already do not have enough room to accommodate the sick,” said Catalin Apostolescu, director of Matei Bals hospital in Bucharest. , which is at the “110 percent” occupancy.
For the first time since the start of the pandemic, Romania plans to transfer 200 to 300 patients out of the country for treatment there amid what senior officials are calling a health “disaster”.
The pandemic has exacerbated the problems facing the country’s underfunded and understaffed health system. Last week a hospital fire killed seven patients, the third such incident in Romania in less than a year.
The country’s slow vaccination campaign has seen around a third of the eligible population fully immunized.
Lucia Draghici, a Matei Bals patient in her 50s who has trouble breathing because of the virus, admits she is still “very scared” of getting the vaccine despite the effect the disease has had on her.
Georgica Vieru, a 53-year-old Orthodox priest, says he was “one of those who thought the vaccine was not good”.
After 29 days in the hospital to recover from the virus, he had time to think again.
“After everything I’ve been through, I know I was wrong,” he said.
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