Soroka-University Medical Center in Beersheba closed its novel coronavirus intensive care unit after more than a year of treating severe coronavirus cases, the hospital announced on Monday.
“I thank each and every one of the employees of the coronavirus intensive care unit for standing firm in the face of such a complex challenge and for such a long period, for the sense of security they provided, for the significant work, for the professionalism, for the humanity, for the compassion and for the saving of lives,” said Dr. Shlomi Kodesh, director of Soroka.
“This work was done continuously by the teams since the outbreak of the pandemic, with the great uncertainty that accompanied the onset of the pandemic, with the changes in the way patients are treated, under complex protection and with remote monitoring, with the close support given daily to patients’ families, and with difficult personal and team coping,” added Kodesh.
After cleaning, the ward returned to use as a regular ICU. Coronavirus patients will now be treated in isolation rooms. As of Monday morning, six coronavirus patients were hospitalized at the hospital. During the outbreak, 185 coronavirus patients were treated in the ICU, with 171 patients on ventilators.
The announcement comes after Hadassah-University Medical Center closed its last coronavirus ward last week. The hospital saw more COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic than any other Israeli medical center.