Mozambique’s Largest Hospital Lacking Space For Covid Patients

Health authorities in Mozambique have declared that “there is no longer any space to admit patients with Covid-19 at the Maputo Central Hospital,” the country’s largest facility.

Fárida Ursi, clinical director of the Maputo Central Hospital or HCM, said the infirmary had space for 40 patients, but there were currently 53 needing treatment.

The hospital was now trying to transfer people to different facilities “so that the patients have a decent hospitalisation, without having patients on the floor”, Dr Usi said.

“We are doing everything so that they have a quality and humanised service,” she added.

The Covid-19 situation in the country – in particular in the capital Maputo – is going from bad to worse, with more and more people needing hospital treatment.

However, Covid has also caused another problem: a shortage of blood.

“In this third wave, the number of volunteers who normally came to the hospital to donate blood dropped a lot and soon we will start having blood problems,” warned the clinical director of the HCM.

He said the “shortage” means that “in a week we will have blood problems, which could cause some patients with acute and severe anaemia to lose their lives”.