ZAGREB, March 26, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Wednesday evening that currently 495 medical workers were in self-isolation, assessing that the health system was not in danger and recalling that medical workers had already been reassigned before.
Beroš made the statement in an interview with the HRT public broadcaster from the eastern city of Osijek, which he visited because local medical workers have been faced with a growing number of people infected with the novel coronavirus.
Twenty-six people have been found to be infected with the virus, two patients are on ventilators and need intensive care, Beroš said, adding that he visited the local health workers to check with them their protocol, which, he said, was appropriate.
Responding to the remark that a growing number of medical staff throughout the country are in self-isolation - more than 230 from Zagreb's Sisters of Charity Hospital alone - Beroš said that at the moment, the situation was not worrying because the national health system was flexible.
He recalled that previously a decision on mobilisation had been made and that it enabled the system to respond to current challenges.
The minister believes that after 14-day self-isolation, those medical workers would be able to continue working.
He said that currently 495 medical workers were in self-isolation, adding that at the moment the functioning of the health system was not jeopardised.
Beroš said that owing to their subspecialties, a number of specialists from Zagreb's KB Dubrava Hospital had previously been reassigned to the Sisters of Charity Hospital and that this would also be done in the future if necessary.
More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.
