FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, USA (AP) – COVID-19 cases occupy so many beds in Florida hospitals that ambulance and fire services are struggling to respond to all emergencies.
In Saint Petersburg, some patients wait hours in ambulances for hospitals to receive them, a process that generally takes 15 minutes, Pinellas County Manager Barry Burton said.
When an ambulance is waiting in front of an emergency room, it is out of network.
“He’s not available to take another call, forcing firefighters at the scene of an accident to provide that transportation,” Burton said. “This has caused a great delay in the whole system.”
He stressed that the most serious cases, such as heart attacks and strokes, receive immediate attention in emergency rooms. And the county with the help of the fire department is looking for more ambulances and personnel.
The tension extends to all of Florida, where COVID-19 hospitalizations surpassed that of the previous surge in July and set a new record of 13,600 on Monday, according to the federal Department of Health.
–
