Over 300 COVID-19 patients critical in Fiji hospitals

More than 300 people with COVID-19 have been admitted to hospitals, with over 40 percent of them either on ventilators or on oxygen support, the government said.

There are over 23,000 active cases in isolation with three quarters of them at home.

The death toll is now at 368 - 366 of them from the latest outbreak that began in April.

Chief medical adviser Dr Jemesa Tudravu said 386 individuals were admitted at the COVID-19 isolation wards at the hospitals.

He said over 40 percent of these patients were on oxygen support.

Dr Tudravu said 19,905 COVID-positive people were under home isolation in the central division since April.

He said the focus was to raise awareness of COVID-19 and the need to address immediate community needs such as water, sanitation and food.

"The data that they are getting from the assessment is assisting the ministry in directing responses to areas of need," Dr Tudravu said.

"This is in terms of setting up additional screening facilities, intermediate care facilities, the additional isolation beds and wards in their respective facilities.

"The home isolation teams that follow-up patients, virtually, or through the use of phone-based care, putting strict risk stratification and putting people on care pathways."

Dr Tudravu said the ministry had also set up mobile teams that visited vulnerable populations.

"And they have set up call centres in the division to receive and process calls that come through the 165 and establish patient care, patient retrieval programs for patients are additional commands centres working on improving and strengthening on this main response activity areas."

 

Photo file Lautoka Hospital