In Ecuador there is a lack of specialists in intensive care to combat the coronavirus

Quito requires specialized personnel and intensive care units.

Despite the fact that Ecuador is one of the countries with the most cases of coronavirus in Latin America, there is a shortage of specialists in the areas of intensive care.

The Deputy Minister of Health, Xavier Solórzano, acknowledged that the country’s hospitals lack specialized personnel in intensive care to treat the disease.

“We are working every day to maximize capacity, especially intensive care, with the limitation that there are not enough specialist health personnel,” he said.

In 2018 alone, the country registered an average of 23 doctors and 15 nurses for every 10,000 inhabitants.

The official said that 23,800 hospital beds were available at the public and private levels, of which 1,200 corresponded to Intensive Care Units (ICU). Of the latter, 334 at the service of the Pichincha province.

“We are on the edge, especially in intensive care. In hospital care (of other specialties) we have a little more slack, “he emphasized.

Quito is the city with the most inhabitants in the country, 2,700,000, the service of the intensive care units is insufficient.

The vice minister explained that this is also the result of lack of confidence.

Source: El Comercio, social networks