Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/770367
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 JANUArY 2017 News Cold spell leaves more than 500 treated in hospital Emergency services at Mater Dei Hospital are overwhelmed with demand as country sees increase in patients suffering from cold-related illnesses MIRIAM DALLI The elderly and young children have been the worst hit by the wave of arctic weather f lowing into the Mediterranean from mainland europe, with hospital ser- vices being swamped with people needing treatment since 27 December. Although it is fairly common for health services to expect a heavier workload due to the f lu, pneumonia and other ailments caused by the drop in temperatures, hos- pital services in Malta have seen a 20% increase in admissions when compared to the same period last year. Provisional figures seen by MaltaToday show that up to 500 patients have been treated at the hospital for cold weather symptoms. The patients are being treated for an array of cold weather-related ill- nesses, including chest infections, pneu- monia and pulmonary edema. hospital CeO Ivan Falzon told Malta- Today that the emergency services were extremely busy, registering "an abnormal number of high admissions". he went on to appeal to the public to seek the hospi- tal 's services only in cases of real emer- gency. The elderly – those aged 65 and over – and young children have been the worst hit by the cold spell. The busiest times also turn out to be during the night, when ambulances are at their busiest with mul- tiple calls for assistance coming in. health Minister Chris Fearne sang the hospital staff 's praises: "heartfelt thanks to the health professionals who once again are rising to the occasion." Malta is not the only country struggling with the effects of the cold weather. In the UK, the British Red Cross has said its volunteers have stepped in to trans- port hospital patients home again as the emergency departments struggled with the "humanitarian crisis" to keep up with a rush of patients over winter. "We have been called in to support the NhS and help get people home from hos- pital and free up much-needed beds," Red Cross CeO Mike Adamson said. "This means deploying our team of emergency volunteers and even calling on our partner Land Rover to lend vehicles to transport patients and keep the system moving." Meanwhile in Malta, the shelters Dar Papa Frangisku and Dar Maria Dolores are offering beds to homeless people who need a place to stay during the cold night. "You won't see people sleeping in the streets like you do at Termini station, but this silent and hidden reality exists," er- nest Cherrett, head of operations at the men's shelter, told MaltaToday. Men seek- ing shelter include Maltese, europeans shifting from one place to another and migrants. Anna Johnson, who runs the recently- opened Dar Maria Dolores, said clients are referred to the women's shelter from social agencies and that there had been requests for admissions. The elderly – those aged 65 and over – and young children were the worst hit by the cold weather