Within this series of news articles, EUREGHA takes the opportunity to highlight actions taken by our members to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.
Over 30 000 citizens offer their help to fight the covid-19 pandemic in Skåne
The Covid-19 outbreak has exposed an already strained health care system due to an urgent shortage of health care personnel. At the same time, many talented people and companies are contacting health care authorities to offer their services in these difficult times. Region Skåne has therefore set up a dedicated website, “Do you want to help out?”, where anyone who would like to participate in the work to combat Covid-19 in Skåne can now register.
The application website is open for both the general public and for temporary staffing companies. Region Skåne is especially seeking authorised nurses and assistant nurses, but the website is also open for applications from people with non-medical backgrounds to assist as cleaners, kitchen aids and service hosts, for example. Also, medical students at the end of their training are welcome to apply. Positions offered through the channel are temporary with a duration over a couple of weeks, with a possibility of prolongation depending on the qualifications of the individual and the needs of the employer.
So far the scheme has been a great success!
Over 30 000 people have already registered via the website and Region Skåne is now working at intense speed to manage all applications. Supplementary to the website, in-service training in intensive care is ongoing for nurses and assistant nurses already employed in other sections of the regional health care organisation. The purpose is to quickly cover the need for additional human resources in health care brought about by the Covid-19 outbreak.
In addition to a shortage of staff, medical equipment such as masks, test strips, protective clothing as well as ventilators and other equipment for respiratory affections are becoming scarce commodities. Region Skåne is therefore seeking contact, both through the website and other channels, with companies selling these types of products or who are able to convert their production to the commodities in demand. Several companies have already responded to the call and deliveries of reagent strips and protective clothing have been made. At the same time as the search for new contractors is ongoing, companies already supplying Region Skåne with materials are scaling up their production to meet the demand.
“I feel incredibly proud to live and work in Skåne when seeing how quickly we all have joined together and contribute to the valuable cause of providing good care to patients in our region.”
