Geelong ICU beds under mounting Covid pressure

The Victorian opposition is calling on the government to guarantee regional hospitals have enough ICU beds, after it was revealed a third of Barwon Health’s 24 ICU beds were occupied by Covid patients from Melbourne.

The Victorian opposition is calling on the state government to guarantee regional hospitals have enough intensive care unit beds, as the number of seriously ill Covid patients grows.

The Geelong Advertiser revealed on Tuesday that a third of Barwon Health’s 24 ICU beds were occupied by positive Covid-19 patients, all from Melbourne.

Shadow health minister Georgie Crozier said the government must ensure capacity in regional Victoria for all patients to be treated in ICU.

“It is astounding that despite an extra 4000 ICU beds being promised in April last year, Minister (Martin) Foley said in Question Time on 14 September 2021 that there were only 420 operational ICU beds across Victoria,” Ms Crozier said.

“That’s fewer than the 500 ICU beds operational at the beginning of the pandemic.

“Labor must guarantee that there are sufficient ICU beds for regional Victorians and explain where the $1.3 billion promised in April last year for the extra 4000 ICU beds has actually gone.”

Geelong hospital is currently a designated streaming hospital to ensure Covid positive patients are cared for in a limited number of health services, reducing the exposure and movement of coronavirus patients across the health system.

Barwon Health chief executive officer Frances Diver confirmed on Monday that Geelong hospital was working with the region’s two private hospitals to help manage the increased demand for Covid beds.

Epworth Geelong acting general manager Dr Matt Ryan said the hospital’s ICU capacity had been increased, early in the pandemic, from six to nine beds.

The hospital also opened three high dependency beds.

“Our role in the statewide response includes working closely with Barwon Health to provide care for public medical and surgical patients where required,” he said.

A Department of Health spokesman said Victoria’s health system was prepared to scale up acute services when required.

“We stand ready to rapidly scale up should it be required with more emergency and critical care capacity than ever before,” he said.

“We are working closely with all of our health services including Barwon Health to monitor their capacity.”

Geelong hospital ICU beds under mounting Covid pressure

Geelong’s public intensive care unit beds are increasingly being filled by coronavirus patients from Melbourne, who are taking up one-third of capacity.

The region’s three major hospitals are preparing to scale back non-urgent admissions to help manage the increased demand for Covid beds.

Premier Daniel Andrews said on Monday 363 Victorian Covid cases were in hospital, an increase of 38 in the past day.

Across the state 75 patients were in intensive care, including 56 on a ventilator

Barwon Health chief executive officer Frances Diver said Geelong hospital staff were currently caring for 15 inpatients with coronavirus.

Of those, eight patients were in the ICU on Monday.

Geelong University Public Hospital has 24 physical ICU beds, but Ms Diver said other areas of the hospital were refurbished and could be converted into ICU beds if required.

Geelong hospital’s ICU beds are filling up. Picture: Mitch Bear

All current Covid-19 inpatients at Geelong hospital are from Melbourne.

“Barwon Health has been designated as a streaming site to care for Covid positive

patients,” Ms Diver said.

“We are working closely with Epworth and St John of God hospitals under Victoria’s comprehensive agreement with the private sector to ensure we can manage demand for ward and intensive care beds for both Covid and non-Covid patients including emergency admissions.”

The former Geelong Private hospital site, now known as University Hospital Geelong Building B, was last year recommissioned and refurbished to become an respiratory assessment clinic f

It was set up to provide a service for GPs to refer people who were unwell and suspected of having Covid-19.

But, the site was closed when cases steadied and has since be repurposed to meet other demands.

It is not currently being used to treat coronavirus patients.

“Building B theatres and recovery areas are currently being utilised. Some outpatient

services are also operating out of Building B,” Ms Diver said.

Last week, Ms Diver said Barwon Health was continuing to provide elective surgery services, but expected to scale this back in the coming weeks.

But, Ms Diver said the community should be assured that Barwon Health could cope with the expected surge in demand.

“Barwon Health is confident that we can scale up to provide additional beds as needed,” Ms Diver said.

“The entire public and private health system is working together to ensure additional

capacity and staffing is available.”

Mr Andrews said the state was facing a pandemic of the unvaccinated, and urged Victorians to get jabbed to prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed.

“It just shows, there is every reason to get vaccinated, every reason to get an appointment and go and play your part for the community,” he said.

Originally published as Geelong ICU beds under mounting Covid pressure