NSW and Victoria hospitals and healthcare workers in ‘crisis situation’ over Omicron

Hospitals and healthcare workers in Australia’s hardest hit states have warned of “stretched resources” as Covid cases surge and hospitalisations increase.

Hospitals and healthcare workers in NSW and Victoria are struggling with a sudden influx in Covid cases, just days after a raft of restrictions were eased.

Victorian doctor Eric Levi said Melbourne hospitals are already running out of beds, with infectious disease and emergency specialists now plunged into a “crisis situation”.

“No one is going to say this out loud but I know Infectious Diseases Specialists and Emergency Medicine Specialists around Melbourne managing Covid cases today who are saying we are in a crisis situation,” he tweeted.

“There are no beds in several hospitals already.”

No one is going to say this out loud but I know Infectious Diseases Specialists and Emergency Medicine Specialists around Melbourne managing COVID cases today who are saying we are in a crisis situation.

There are no beds in several hospitals already.

— Dr Eric Levi (@DrEricLevi) December 16, 2021

Dr Levi said despite eased restrictions in Victoria, hospital workers were feeling the impact of stretched resources and pandemic burnout. Between December 1 and December 16, daily confirmed cases in the state increased from 1179 to 1622, with hospitalisations also rising from 299 to 384.

“There is a discrepancy between the mood outside the hospital and inside the hospital,” he continued.

“Hospital resources are limited. Staff are burned out.”

Speaking to the Herald Sun, University of Melbourne epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely said that while the Omicron variant was likely to overtake the Delta variant in the next one to three months, he hoped this could lead to less hospitalisations.

“What we do know is that if the case numbers go up to 5000 per day we’d probably have the same hospitalisation rate as 1000 or 2000 cases of Delta,” he said.

“We don’t know exactly the equivalence but we’re pretty confident the hospitalisation rate would be much less.”

You can still go out and have fun. You can still meet others. We’re not in a lockdown.

But some minor alterations to your actions will help you and your community.

Wear a mask. Get outdoors. Get vaccinated. Stay distanced. Ventilate indoors. Be kind to everyone.

— Dr Eric Levi (@DrEricLevi) December 16, 2021

Similar fears have also impacted hospitals in NSW, which have reverted back to ‘red alert’ operations, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. This comes as cases surged to 1742 on Thursday, with Health Minister Brad Hazzard warning that they could reach 25,000 day by the end of January.

This rise in risk levels mean visitors will need exemptions when visiting a patient during the Christmas period, which will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Visitors must also be fully-vaccinated, wear a face mask and follow advice from staff.

However, extra considerations will be made for women in labour, palliative care patients, and providing care for children.

Growing Covid cases have stoked fears of increased hospitalisations and staff shortages. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw.

According to a staff email sent by the NSW Health Deputy Secretary Nigel Lyons, the protocols were made over “increasing levels of transmission in the community and the impact of furloughing staff,” as reported by the SMH.

While NSW Covid cases have risen exponentially, hospitalisations have only seen a small increase. Between December 1 to December 16, admissions increased from 154 to 192, compared to the state’s peak of 1266 in September.