Hospitals are now running a total of six intensive therapy units after healthcare workers were forced to open another COVID-19 segment to keep up with the growing number of patients needing intensive care.
Malta is currently on quasi-lockdown after the government announced the closure of restaurants, schools and non-essential shops on Wednesday, the same day the daily number of new infections shot up to a record-smashing 510 cases.
Times of Malta is now informed that a fourth COVID-19 ITU had to be set up in Mater Dei in recent hours, the second additional unit to open its doors since Wednesday. In total, there are now six units providing intensive care, including one in Gozo.
Sources who spoke to Times of Malta expressed concern at the growing numbers, especially since intensive care requires specific expertise.
If there is a major accident, people will die because there is simply no space
Healthcare workers are now "extremely worried" the hospital could soon buckle under the increasing pressure.
"[There is] no space at all! What we were scared of last year is happening now. Doctors now have very strict admission criteria. We are like Italy or Spain now," one healthcare worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
Another healthcare worker said: "Our fear is we might soon have to decide who deserves a bed and who doesn't. Unfortunately, this will be our only option soon."
Health Minister Chris Fearne hinted that a fourth COVID-19 ITU could soon be needed on Wednesday, saying this had already been prepared and if needed, a fifth unit is already on standby.
The government had also announced on Wednesday that all non-urgent surgeries have been postponed. This means empty wards could soon be turned into makeshift COVID-19 units, though healthcare workers say there is not enough staff to handle such a situation.
"Another serious issue is there is not enough nurses or doctors to handle this situation. If there is a major accident, people will die because there is simply no space," one nurse said.
As of Wednesday, there were 28 patients receiving treatment for COVID-19 in intensive care though the number is expected to be updated during Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci's weekly update later on Friday.
The spike in numbers in recent weeks has been blamed on the highly-infectious variant that originated from the UK. According to the authorities, some 61 per cent of new cases were of the variant though this figure could also be updated later on Friday.
Health authorities are now making use of test kits that enable them to establish which variant a patient is infected with in real-time.