Hospitals in Bergamo are full, turning patients away

(Patria) – Hospitals in the Italian city of Bergamo, which is at the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic, are full and are now turning patients away.

Lorenzo D'Antiga, director of the pediatric department at Papa Giovanni Hospital in Bergamo, says the hospital no longer has beds and describes the situation as 'dramatic'.

- We are in trouble because we have no free beds for new patients, we are sending them to other hospitals, while all intensive care units in the region are full, so this is a huge problem, D'Antiga told Euronews.

Italy has surpassed China in the number of infections – 427 new deaths were reported in a single day, bringing the total to 3,405, which is 150 more than in China.

D'Antiga adds that the hospital is unable to treat elderly patients in serious condition due to lack of capacity.

- The situation is truly dramatic, the mood is extremely depressing, relatives cannot visit patients during hospital treatment, so some die without anyone of their own nearby. Funerals are also forbidden, so even the last prayer cannot be performed properly, says the Italian doctor from Bergamo.

More than 10,000 people worldwide have died from the coronavirus infection, most in Europe (4,932) and Asia (3,431).