This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
Italy's Doctor Describes the Chaos in Bergamo's Hospitals ¶
On Tuesday, July 14, Dr. Fabiano Di Marco, a professor of the University of Milan and the head of the respiratory unit of the Hospital Papa Giovanni XXIII of Bergamo, spoke with Michael Barbaro about the chaos in Bergamo's hospitals as they deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Dr. Di Marco described the situation in his hospital, saying, 'Every day we receive, on average, between 50 to 70 patients with severe respiratory failure due to coronavirus infection. Every single day. And to describe my reality, my hospital is, at least in Europe, a huge hospital with 1,000 beds. But to receive every day between 50 and 70 patients with severe pneumonia due to coronavirus, it’s impossible.'
Dr. Di Marco also spoke about the emotional toll of the outbreak on his colleagues, saying, 'We cry every day. And now, we have today, 460 nurses at home because they are sick. And I think we have —' He was interrupted by Michael Barbaro, who asked, 'You have 460 nurses who are in a hospital in the middle of this crisis who are home because they’re sick?' Dr. Di Marco replied, 'Yeah, today. This is the outcome of today.'
Dr. Di Marco also spoke about the lack of personal protective equipment in his hospital, saying, 'We do not have enough personal protective equipment — the mask in case of infection, something to cover the shoes, and the gown. It’s impossible to find these now Europe, not only in Italy.'
On Tuesday, March 17, Dr. Di Marco spoke with Michael Barbaro again, saying, 'Today is the first day in which we have more than 50 percent of the hospital dedicated to coronavirus patients. To organize these, we had to teach cardiologists, dermatologists, rheumatologists — specialists of something very different from respiratory failure — how to treat this patient.'
Dr. Di Marco's hospital has been overwhelmed with patients, and he has had to make difficult decisions to prioritize care. He said, 'We have not had the opportunity to allow the relative to come to the hospital for two reasons. First, it’s a danger for them and for other people, evidently, because in 80 percent of the cases, they are infected. The second reason, which is not easy to understand if you are not in this situation, is that we do not have enough personal protective equipment.'
Dr. Di Marco's words paint a picture of the chaos and desperation in Bergamo's hospitals as they deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.
