On Sunday morning, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán paid an unannounced visit to the Magyar Imre Hospital in Ajka, of which he posted a video message on his Facebook account, Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s press chief informed the Hungarian news agency MTI.

In the epidemic hospital designated for the treatment of coronavirus patients, the Prime Minister inspected the institution’s entire patient path, from the entry airlock unit all the way to intensive care. In “peace time” there are six intensive care beds in the hospital; however, in the past few weeks, the institution’s management has successfully extended the available capacity. As a result, they are now able to provide intensive care for as many as 86 patients at any one time, as laid down in the hospital’s emergency plan.

In this regard, Mr Orbán said it is a warning sign that one seventh of all coronavirus patients registered in Hungary came from elderly care homes operated by the Metropolitan Municipality. He recalled that there were some 1,100 elderly care homes throughout the country, and we must prepare for a scenario where the disease appears everywhere.

At present, the vacating of hospital beds is only a dress rehearsal, the dress rehearsal for a worst-case scenario, the Prime Minister said during his visit, adding that even if the worst-care scenario materialised, Hungarian hospitals must be able to provide care for every coronavirus patient. Everyone can sleep well; everyone who falls ill will have a place, Mr Orbán said.

(MTI)