Luis Escobar / La Paz
The Intensive Therapy Units (ICU) of the main hospitals in La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz are filled with patients with respiratory complications due to covid and who were not vaccinated. According to the doctors, many of the patients distrusted the inoculants. Now the cost of his care demands at least 15,000 bolivianos a day.
The director of Hospital El Alto Sur, Álex Andrade, explained that his intensive therapy room is fully occupied. “The therapy unit collapsed on Wednesday and we enabled an intermediate therapy to continue the care. However, we must mention that none of the patients who are in therapy units received the vaccine ”, he assured.
Young people between the ages of 25 and 35 are interned at this center, 90% have compromised lungs. “I ask the entire population to get vaccinated. It is the only way to avoid complications ”, said Andrade.
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“We have three patients in intensive care who were not vaccinated. According to their relatives, they were not vaccinated because of the position they assumed. They said they distrusted vaccines. Despite this determination, their children were immunized, ”Jhonny Ayllón, director of the Hospital de Clínicas de La Paz, told Página Siete.
This health facility -which is a reference center in the department of La Paz- has two intensive therapy rooms. The first for nine beds is occupied by people who have other pathologies. The second room has six spaces for covid patients, three are already occupied.
The professional assured that the authorities have already complied with the provision of vaccines, now it is the responsibility of the people. “They don’t get vaccinated, they don’t wear a mask and they walk from one place to another. (…) When they enter an ICU, the daily cost of the bed ranges from 10,000 to 15,000 Bolivians, ”said Ayllón. These resources cover the care of nurses, specialists, medications, and equipment.
The director of the La Portada Municipal Hospital in La Paz, Fátima Verduguez, reported that the intensive care beds are occupied. “Most of the patients who are entering the ICU do not have the vaccine. There were also cases of people who did not complete their vaccination schedule ”, he declared. Ximena Mercado, director of the Cotahuma hospital, said that three people are admitted to the ICU and only have one unoccupied bed.
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According to the Municipal Health Service (Headquarters) La Paz, since Monday, November 15, the cases in this department and in the government seat municipality increased. In addition, the La Paz entity reported that as of Thursday there are 221 people with covid who are admitted to hospitals. Of these, 191 are in wards or intensive care, 30 are in intensive therapy beds.
The head of Epidemiology of the Santa Cruz Headquarters, Carlos Alberto Hurtado, said that the number of infections is increasing. “We have seven deceased people to mourn. The worrying thing is that five of them did not have any type of vaccine, “he said.
Hurtado indicated that 93 people are hospitalized in ICU. Of these, 72 are on a respirator and more than 50% have no vaccines.
The departmental secretary of Health of Cochabamba, Daysi Rocabado, said that the data from the hospitals “deeply calls for reflection.” “(Only) we would have unvaccinated patients in the ICU areas. At Hospital del Sur we have four ICU patients and none of them received a vaccine, “he said.
Vaccination points
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Minors The Mayor’s Office of La Paz installed a mobile vaccination point in Plaza San Francisco with 300 first doses of Pfizer. This space will be held today and tomorrow between 8:00 and 20:00. The inoculants are intended for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17.
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Adults The unvaccinated population can also go to the five municipal hospitals for injections. All centers have the first and second doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, with the second dose of Sputnik V and the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine for minors between 12 and 17 years of age. The municipality of La Paz has more than 100% vaccinated population and is the first in the country. In contrast, El Alto reached 53% and is the last in Bolivia.
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