Göppingen (dpa / lsw) – Due to overwork, the clinic for pediatric and adolescent medicine at the Alb Fils clinics in the Göppingen district has had to relocate planned treatments and operations, for example in pediatric surgery. Consultation hours would also have to be canceled and sick children would have to be transferred to other hospitals, according to a statement on Tuesday. The reason is that there are currently many seriously ill children and too few staff.

Respiratory diseases in children have been increasing for weeks. Nationwide, the intensive care units for young patients are currently heavily overloaded.

Influenza and RS viruses and the respiratory infections they cause are increasingly causing serious illnesses, especially in small children and infants, said the chief physician at the children’s clinic, Fabian Kaßberger. Affected children require intensive medical and nursing care and tie up a lot of staff. The cancellation of office hours and other planned appointments is the only way to keep the station running. Emergency care is unrestricted.