Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya says it’s experiencing unusual overcrowding, with fears an uptick in coronavirus cases fueled by the Omicron variant may make things even worse.
The hospital says its internal medicine wards are at 150% capacity, with one unit experiencing even higher crowding, forcing some patients into hallways, Channel 12 reports. Staff shortages are also taking a toll.
President Isaac Herzog visits the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, on November 17, 2021. (Haim Zach/GPO)
A quarter of all beds are taken up by flu patients, and the deputy head of the hospital attributes the crowding to “wintertime illnesses.”
“If we have to open the coronavirus ward it will be at the expense of the internal wards, which will create complicated challenges,” Dr. Zvi Sheleg says to the channel. “I hope we’re not on the cusp of another tough coronavirus wave, since that can push us to the edge of our capabilities.”
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Monday, December 27, 2021
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
