Since the start of this outbreak, about 40% of the medical staff at the private Kiang Wu Hospital have been infected by SARS-CoV-2, local media reports.
The disclosure was made by Dr Cheong Chan Weng, vice director of the private hospital.
The high infection rate has placed extra pressure on the already-stressed medical services during the cold winter. The number of hospitalized patients with chronic respiratory diseases has also significantly increased, according to local media outlet Macao Daily News.
All beds in the respiratory ward have been occupied, the report said, and the waiting time for services at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department has also gone up from two hours to four hours.
Due to increased demand, the hospital has recently opened online outpatient services for Covid-19 patients. The online system has helped shorten waiting times for patients, compress the number of patients presenting in person at the hospital, and reduce the risk of medical staff contracting the virus, according to Cheong.
Cheong added that many infected staff have chosen to return to work after their fevers passed. Some have even chosen to continue working while ill. Those who were not ill have chosen to extend their service hours to cover for their colleagues.
