Chinese Hospitals ‘Extremely Busy’ Even As Beijing Dismantles Strict Covid Curbs: Report

As per some international health experts, easing of restrictions after widespread protests meant that Covid is spreading unchecked in the country and likely infecting millions of people a day. 

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Hospitals in China are “extremely busy” even as Beijing began dismantling the world’s strictest Covid regime of lockdown and extensive testing. As per a report by Reuters, hospitals in China were under intense pressure on Wednesday amid surging cases which has strained resources in the country.

As per some international health experts, easing of restrictions after widespread protests meant that Covid is spreading unchecked in the country and likely infecting millions of people a day. 

Staff at Huaxi, a large hospital in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, said they were “extremely busy” caring for patients with Covid, as they have been ever since curbs were eased on December 7.

"I’ve been doing this job for 30 years and this is the busiest I have ever known it," one ambulance driver outside the hospital told the news agency.

The report stated that there were long queues inside and outside the hospital’s emergency department and at the adjacent fever clinic on Tuesday evening. Most of those who arrived in ambulances were given oxygen tanks to assist with their breathing.

“Almost all of the patients have COVID,” one emergency department pharmacy staff member said.

The hospital has no stocks of Covid-specific medicines and instead can simply provide drugs for specific symptoms such as coughing, she added. 

As per the report quoting Zhang Yuhua, an official at the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital as saying, elderly and critically ill patients with underlying diseases are mainly coming to the hospital. She said the number of patients receiving emergency care had increased to 450-550 per day, from roughly 100 before, according to state media.

However, the official statistics showed only one COVID death in the seven days to Monday. International health experts predict at least 1 million COVID deaths in China next year.