Space has been set up in a parking garage at Landspítali University Hospital in Fossvogur to accommodate patients.
Photo/Þorkell Þorkelsson
Landspítali University Hospital has set up temporary accommodation for patients in a parking garage on the ground floor of the hospital in Fossvogur. Rafn Benediktsson, director of the emergency department, says that infections and contagious illnesses have made it necessary to do everything possible to keep patients separated.
He says he understands that both patients and their families are alarmed by the situation.
According to Benediktsson, patients are staying in a basement area normally used by ambulances when bringing people to the emergency department.
Patients enter through the front doors
“This space is located as close as possible to the emergency department. Ambulances usually unload patients there, and it is effectively the first area where people are sheltered from rain and snow. But since it is currently in use, ambulances are now, in practice, unloading patients through the main entrance that opens onto the forecourt,” Benediktsson explains.
He says the increased strain is due to a surge in patients caused by infectious illnesses. The main purpose of using this area is to maintain isolation and infection control.
“It is primarily infections and viruses that are leading to the current influx of patients. Only 36 patients can be accommodated in the emergency department at any given time. Those who are acutely ill need to be admitted to inpatient wards, but there is no space available,” Benediktsson says.
Elderly patients unable to leave the hospital
He explains that the lack of beds on inpatient wards is largely due to elderly patients who are no longer acutely ill but are unable to manage on their own at home.
“These patients remain in hospital because there are no appropriate services available in the community. When influenza and even gastrointestinal outbreaks occur, the system simply cannot cope. That’s why we create additional spaces to hold patients until they can be admitted to wards.”
“Completely unacceptable”
There have been instances where patients and family members have been shocked upon seeing the parking garage facilities, which Benediktsson says is understandable.
“It is, of course, completely unacceptable that the situation is like this. In the spring, we will bring temporary facilities into use at Landspítali in Fossvogur, and we are working on spreading the burden across more areas as well as redistributing patient flow. We therefore hope the situation will improve by next summer,” he concludes.