At the inauguration ceremony for 50 additional ICU beds at Sotiria hospital in Athens, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that "the next months will be crucial and we are very well aware that if we do not take care the health system will come under great pressure."
He also noted that there will be hiring "wherever and whenever necessary" and praised the work of the medical and nursing staff, particularly the staff in the ICUs which, as he said, "battle with death and save human lives every day."
Το έργο αυτό αποτελεί δωρεά της Βουλής των Ελλήνων και ολοκληρώθηκε και εξοπλίστηκε μέσα σε μόλις 2 μήνες. Όμως δεν αρκούν μόνο οι υποδομές. Στους γιατρούς, νοσηλευτές, στο υποστηρικτικό προσωπικό, σε όσους κρατούν τις εντατικές καθαρές, λέμε όλοι ένα μεγάλο ευχαριστώ. pic.twitter.com/9RJyPWMWDj
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) October 19, 2020
"It is a huge relief that next month we will have a significantly increased number of ICU beds, which will initially will be used in the struggle against coronavirus and, after the end of the pandemic, will be at the National Health System's disposal," he added during his visit to Sotiria Hospital.
Mitsotakis highlighted the importance of the endeavour, which is a Greek parliament donation, and pledged that the number of ICU beds per population will reach the EU average by the end of 2020.
Video: 50 new ICU beds at Sotiria Hospital
Οι 50 νέες κλίνες ΜΕΘ που εγκαινιάσαμε σήμερα είναι μία μόνιμη παρακαταθήκη για το σύστημα υγείας, η οποία θα μας συνοδεύει και όταν θα έχουμε τελειώσει με τον COVID, ενώ ετοιμάζονται πολλά κρεβάτια σε πολλά νοσοκομεία που θα ενισχύσουν το Εθνικό Σύστημα Υγείας. pic.twitter.com/8TMzY7Y78l
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) October 19, 2020
Latest coronavirus numbers in Greece
Greece recorded 438 new cases of COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour reporting period, the largest daily spike since the first case was registered in the country in late February.
This raises the total number of cases to 25,802.
3,560 are considered to be related to travel from abroad and 10,337 are related to an already known case.
Eighty-five individuals are in ICU. Their median age is 66 years, and 26 of them are women. 94.1% have an underlying condition or are aged 70 years and above.
A total of 258 patients have been discharged from ICUs since the start of the pandemic in Greece.
The country’s pandemic death toll stands at 520. The median age of all was 79 years and 96.2% of the deceased had an underlying condition and/or age of 70 years or more.
