Nearly 100 people were admitted to the emergency room on one night due to accidents on icy sidewalks and roads around the city, RÚV reports.
Sheets of slippery ice are prevalent around the capital during the winter months, as snow often melts on warmer days only to refreeze in the evenings or during cold snaps. Injuries from slipping on ice are, therefore, not uncommon in the wintertime, but according to a statement issued on the hospital website by director Páll Matthíasson on Friday, this is probably the most people in a very long time to have been injured in this way all at once.
As is to be expected this time of year, there has also been an increase in the number of flu patients, putting increased strain on hospital resources. In his statement, Páll noted that it would be desirable to increase the number of hospital staff on duty at this time, and to make more beds available to patients. “…[U]nfortunately,” he writes, “the situation is such that due to a shortage of staff—particularly nurses—the hospital has had to reduce the number of available beds instead.” He concludes that this is “a huge challenge” that the hospital is trying to address.
