The Government of Peru will increase the number of
hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) beds by 10,000 and 1,000, respectively, before June 30, in order to meet the demand of covid-19 patients, which increases day after day at hospitals all over the country, President Martin Vizcarra has affirmed.
"We have to double our health response capacity. If we currently have
1,000 ICU beds, we should have 2,000 by June 30. And if we have 10,000 hospital beds, we are going to have 20,000," he stressed.
According to the Head of State, these beds will be distributed to hospitals needing them.
Additionally, the Peruvian leader admitted that health and education sectors have been neglected for the past 50 years.
"When a challenge like this comes up, it catches us unprepared as a society, with a precarious health system. That is the lesson we have learned firsthand," he expressed.
In this context, the statesman said that the Supreme Decree that extends the state of emergency until June 30 includes a strategy to improve and strengthen the health system's response.
(END) LIT/RMB/MVB
Published: 5/23/2020