Third patient dies in Zakynthos, waiting for bed in ICU

A third patient who had been waiting for a place in an intensive care unit died in a hospital in Zakynthos, the union of public hospital workers (POEDIN) said on Thursday.

The 67-year-old woman had been waiting for 15 days to be transferred to an ICU but there were no beds available anywhere in the country, the union said.

A total of three patients had been hospitalized in Zakynthos since early January, waiting to be transported. One of them died on January 6 after being transferred with delay at a hospital in Rio, while a male patient died in Zakynthos on Wednesday.

The hospital's ICU was completed in 2012 but lacks the specialized personnel to staff it, which means patients who need such care have to be sent to other hospitals in the country.

POEDIN said in its press release "it is imperative to use the 150 beds in ICUs which are equipped but do not operate due to a lack of staff.”