Sweden’s Hospitals Now Face Nationwide Staff Shortages: Report

(Bloomberg) -- Almost all of Sweden’s regional hospitals are now struggling with a shortage of health-care staff, according to a report in Swedish Radio.

University hospitals across the country, with the single exception of Norrland University Hospital in Sweden’s northernmost region, no longer have enough employees to look after the sickest Covid patients, the broadcaster said.

Sweden is trying to contain a much more serious resurgence of the virus than its top health authorities predicted would grip the country in a second wave. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven criticized that failure, in a separate report published in Aftonbladet on Tuesday.

Last week, Stockholm’s health-care system almost caved under the pressure of the pandemic as its intensive care capacity hit 99%. Local authorities have since raised the alarm level to the second of three categories, enabling a forced redeployment of staff to address the health emergency.

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