Croc Verde record an increase in medical interventions in 2020

The health situation has constituted an emergency on all fronts for the Croce Verde of Bellinzona (CVB). The organization has had to reorganize itself structurally to deal effectively with the criticality of the situation, which has modified its intervention protocols and the adoption of personal protective equipment.

Missions up by 5.5%

Activities carried out in 2020 totaled 4,159 (+5.5% compared to 2019). 75% of cases involved potentially life-threatening patients and required immediate departure of the rescue vehicle. There was a slight increase in medical interventions, which accounted for 82% of total missions (in 2019 it was 80%), while the remaining 18% involved trauma. The most frequent pathologies were psychiatric (431 cases), febrile states caused by infections (411 cases) and respiratory failure (378 cases).

The destinations amounted to 60% of sent to the San Giovanni Hospital of Bellinzona, followed by the La Carità Hospital of Locarno (8%), Covid reference center for Sopraceneri, the Ospedale Civico of Lugano (7%), the Cantonal Psychiatric Clinic (5%) and the Cardiocentro Ticino (3%).

March and December «busiest» months

The months that registered the highest level of emergency activity were March and December, reflecting the trend of the spread of the pandemic. Wednesday and Friday the most intense for emergency calls, while in terms of time of day, the majority of call outs took place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (68.5%), The highest concentration was between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., as was the case in 2019. Nearly 3,000 times one or two ambulances intervened simultaneously (each engaged in its own intervention), while 852 times three ambulances were mobilized and 286 times four. In five situations, as many as 7 ambulances were involved at the same time, with the support of neighboring organizations. The total number of kilometers travelled by CVB emergency vehicles amounted to 118,393 (compared to 116,405 in the previous year). In 2020, there were 235 covers performed by the Bellinzona entity (compared to 208 in 2019), primarily for SALVA Locarno and TVS Biasca.