Sismanogleio hospital to accept only Covid patients 

After Sotiria Hospital in Athens, Sismanogleio is also becoming a Covid-only hospital as of Monday (Jan. 10), as the Health Ministry switches gears to tackle a surge in infections caused by the omicron variant of the virus.

The 251,727 virus infections recorded in the country in the last 7 days, (from New Year’s Eve until Jan. 6), have crowded emergency departments where many citizens show up to undergo a free PCR test.

While intensive care units are slowly being decongested after a period of prolonged pressure, the problem has shifted to emergency departments where many citizens show up to undergo a free PCR test, as well as regular hospital units where lighter cases of Covid are being treated.

Other big hospitals in Attica are also pressured to provide additional beds to Covid cases.

Speaking to Skai on Friday, the head of the Public Hospital Workers Federation (POEDIN) said 1,200 healthcare staff members in Attica are in quarantine, having been infected by the virus.

Of these, 755 are in hospitals such as Evangelismos, Sotiria and Sismanogleio.