Hungary, Czechia, Poland, and Slovakia rank in the top 10 for number of hospital beds per population in Europe, a key indicator in how well countries can cope with the coronavirus outbreak, according to data from NimbleFins.
NimbleFins published its statistics based on the OECD, Eurostat, and Worldometer data comparing the number of hospital beds in countries across Europe.
The number of beds is essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has placed enormous demands on hospitals.
Germany has the most hospital beds per person, with eight beds per 1,000 residents.
Austria ranks second (7.37 beds per 1,000 residents) followed by Hungary (7.02 beds), Czechia (6.63 beds), and Poland (6.62 beds).
Among the Visegrad Four countries, Slovakia’s result is the worst, with 5.82 beds per 1,000 persons, but still higher than much of the rest of Europe.
Italy, Spain, Ireland, United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden are, on the other hand, the six countries with the worst supply of hospital beds, ranging from Italy with 3.18 beds to Sweden with only 2.2 beds per 1,000 people.
Given the large population of Italy, Spain, and the UK, these three countries have the biggest shortage of hospital beds, NimbleFins finds.
The lack of beds in Italy has left hospitals struggling to cope, with medical staff resorting to placing patients inside laundry rooms and hastily-erected green medical tents. Medical experts say the lack of beds has undoubtedly cost lives in Italy.
The European average is 4.9 beds per 1,000 residents.
Title image: French soldiers discuss inside the military field hospital built in Mulhouse, eastern France, Monday March 23, 2020. The Grand Est region is now the epicenter of the outbreak in France, which has buried the third most virus victims in Europe, after Italy and Spain. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
