Photo from UNIAN, Viktor Kovalchuk

Kyiv authorities are deploying another five medical facilities to treat COVID-19 patients. These are hospitals 1, 12, 15, 18, and the Kyiv City Center for Radiation Protection of the Population from the Consequences of the Chornobyl Disaster, says Mayor Vitaly Klitschko.

According to the mayor, the city keeps increasing the number of beds for treating COVID-19 patients in the capital's municipal medical facilities, as well as provide clinics and medics with all necessary equipment and gear, an UNIAN correspondent reported from an online briefing.

"We have already deployed 2,730 beds in 22 city hospitals. Of these, 17 hospitals are already receiving and treating patients with the virus. Others are completing preparation works to admit such patients," Klitschko said.

The mayor assured that medical workers who will work with patients with COVID-19 are provided with the necessary personal protective equipment, medicines and special equipment for disinfecting the premises. Almost 4 million UAH were allocated for this.

Read alsoCOVID-19: Over 5,100 new active cases reported on Oct 13Klitschko noted that the other four medical facilities are now preparing to receive patients.

"I emphasize: this is what the city is doing on its own in a situation where the dynamics of the virus spread is such that very soon we may be lacking beds in hospitals. At the same time, government-owned, departmental and medical institutions of the Academy of Medical Sciences are not accepting Kyiv residents with COVID-19, although they have a total of 11,000 beds and qualified personnel. I believe that this is an anti-state and, to put it mildly, strange position of the government and the Ministry of Health, which are at the same time talking about setting up hospitals at sports arenas and so on," the Kyiv mayor said.

Coronavirus in Kyiv: Background

  • On October 9, Klitschko said hospital load in terms of COVID-19 patients was over 70%.
  • On October 12, the mayor said that the capital has not yet seen a response to an appeal to deploy facilities of the National Academy of Medical Sciences to address crisis.
  • Over the past day, 397 new active coronavirus cases were reported in Kyiv, bringing the total to 28,090.