How Are Austria And Germany Joining Hands To Assist Portugal That’s Battling Tough Times?

Regardless of where you might be and whatever your profession or means of making ends meet, the key question is whether you are free of the COVID-19 stress? What began as a pandemic, soon took the world to the verge, and eventually in the midst of the lockdown, is yet to escape the planet from which it emerged. While 2020 was spent in playing damage-control, one year later, 2021 has seen some vehement fightback against the fatal COVID 19 Pandemic by way of vaccines!

Though, still much of the world continues to be in shackles of this great conspirator against human happiness and general well-being. One wonders just when might strongmen of Western Europe, for example, like France and Germany control the chaos?

And while much of these nations are anyways stuck in the rut fighting the pandemic, there is another European nation that seems to have hit the dead end in countering the COVID 19 situation. Though, in someways, it helps to know that what’s making big news is that not just Austria but even Germany is helping Portugal tackle the COVID 19 situation.

At this point in time, Germany is helping Portugal by way of providing medical assistance. But just how did things get to a situation where the two European neighbors had to jump into lend assistance? If you happen to rewind the situation to a few hours back in time, then the key breaking development in Portugal concerned itself with hospitals running out of beds to facilitate the growing number of patients.

The lack of ICU beds in Portugal screamed to one’s attention with the underlying fear that no more than seven ICU beds were actually left in the mainland to tackle the COVID 19 threat.

Where the likes of an Austria and also Germany is helping Portugal is to provide the necessary medical equipments to fight what must be urgently taken care of: the surge in infections.

While fatalities, at the end of the day, are fatalities, regardless of the troubled being large or small sized nations. But the COVID 19 pandemic is enforcing its own troubles toward a country that comprises of no more than 1.03 crores (2019 numbers).

But that being said, the way Germany is helping Portugal, for instance, isn’t only restricted to providing key medical equipment. Angela Merkel-land, it is confirmed, has also committed doctors toward bailing out an embattled Portugal, whereas on date, there’ve been over 12,179 deaths (711,000 cases).

Meanwhile, Austria’s supreme political leader, young chancellor Sebastian Kurz, emphasized the need to find a swift, bureaucratic way if lives had to be saved, the key reason why Austria is soon going to receive patients from Portugal.

What will also add to Portgual’s confidence of sending its ailing to the Alpine nation is down to the fact that Osterreich has previously received (for treatment) patients from France, Italy and Montenegro.

Also Read: Key Update On Germany: Deutschland To Ban Travel From Countries Grappling With New Virus Variant

Meanwhile, here’s why Portugal is relying heavily on the support of its European allies:

*Health Ministry data showed that, out of 850 ICU beds allocated to COVID-19 cases on its mainland, a record 843 beds were now occupied. The nation of 10 million people has an additional 420 ICU beds for those with other ailments.

The Justice Ministry said on Friday its institute of forensic medicine, whose role includes handling autopsies for the police and others, had requested a refrigerator truck to preserve bodies as funeral homes were not able to take them fast enough.

(*note- Reuters provided the above information in its coverage of the situation in Portugal.)