Cardiac services buckle under COVID pressure as critical units are turned into ITUs

The Cardiac Critical Unit (CCU) within Mater Dei Hospital has been taken over and turned into an ITU for COVID-19 patients.

The CCU is where post-cardiac bypass surgery patients, and others with post-cardiac interventions, are taken for care. 

Critical cardiac patients will instead be managed in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory.

A ministry spokesperson confirmed with MaltaToday that the Cardiac Medical Ward had also been closed off to new admissions on Wednesday night, after four patients tested positive for COVID-19.

Those in the ward on Thursday will be remaining there under quarantine until discharged, while new patients will be admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit or Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory.

Martin Balzan, President of the Medical Association of Malta (MAM), told MaltaToday that planned angiograms, which take place in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, will probably be cancelled along with other scheduled procedures, as a result of these closures.

“The problem isn't just space but also the taking-up of staff,” he said, explaining that resources will have to be shifted to emergency issues and COVID-19 treatment. “More than 100 cases a day means that the hospital is going into emergency mode. At more than 300, we run out of space [...] for the moment, we're just coping.”

Balzan mentioned that hospital services are yet to feel the effects of the 500 cases registered on Wednesday, as it takes an average of 10 to 15 days before a person is admitted to intensive care.

He appealed to the public to remain vigilant, even if one is vaccinated. Full immunisation takes place two weeks after the second dose, and a vaccinated person could still be a carrier for the virus.

“For the hospitals not to be overwhelmed, we need the over-60s and vulnerable people to stay at home, with minimum visits from their relatives. That's how they can help themselves, the hospital, and staff.”