RIGA, April 20 (LETA) - This week, the beds provided for Covid-19 patients will be re-profiled in Jurmala and Aizkraukle hospitals and will no longer provide care for these patients, as the number of patients of other profiles has increased, Dita Heiberga, head of the Emergency Medical Service's (NMPD) Catastrophic Medical Center, informed at a government meeting on Tuesday.

Such a decision was made at the meeting of the State Operational Medical Commission, taking into account the increase in inpatient therapeutic and chronic patients. Heiberga acknowledged that there was a slight increase in the number of inpatient Covid-19 patients, but this was not comparable to the increase in the number of other patients.

"The occupancy rate of non-Covid-19 beds has sometimes reached almost 80 percent this week. This means that sometimes there are hospitals where 100 percent of non-Covid-19 beds are occupied," said the head of the center.

There have been cases where the patient and the NMPD team have to wait more than an hour for admission to hospital.

"To address this, we have decided to slowly reduce the number of Covid-19 beds," Heiberga explained.

The issue of re-profiling the beds for Tukums Hospital's Covid-19 patients was also considered, but these beds are mostly occupied at the moment.

Until now, the care of Covd-19 patients in Latvia was provided in 18 hospitals.

At the same time, the occupancy of intensive care beds in hospitals is increasing. It is higher in clinical university hospitals in Riga, but lower in the regions.

As reported, currently, the provision of certain services in three emergency medical hospitals is restricted, according to the presentation of the Disaster Medical Center of the Emergency Medical Service submitted to the government meeting.

The acute traumatology profile will not be provided at Jekabpils Regional Hospital until the end of the month. Ogre District Hospital has not admitted patients with therapy and neurology profile since Monday, but the association of Balvi and Gulbene Hospitals cannot provide endoscopy examinations - to admit patients with symptoms of acute bleeding.

Bedding for Covid-19 patients is currently very high in four hospitals. Currently, it is the highest in Jelgava Hospital, reaching 90 percent. Bed occupancy at Balvi Hospital has decreased from 92 percent to 88 percent. 86 percent of beds are still occupied in Rezekne Hospital. 78 percent of such beds are occupied in Tukums hospital.

The average bed occupancy rate for Covid-19 patients in hospitals is currently 57 percent, three percentage points higher than last week o