Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:16 pm on 17 March 2020.
As regards coronavirus, health demographics are very different here in Wales, compared to, well, even England, in terms of a far higher percentage of elderly population here in Wales, in terms of the far higher percentage of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic diseases here in Wales compared to England, and in terms of far fewer intensive care unit beds per head of population here, even compared to England. It also suffers adversely in comparison with other European countries, and in terms of far fewer intensive care doctors per head of population here, far fewer than England and far fewer than Italy, which is enduring an absolute armageddon at the moment of 400 deaths per day, and far fewer ventilators and a lack of protective clothing and masks in general practice as elsewhere. So, the reality is that we are on a war footing now. Wales faces huge challenge, with fewer resources than even England. We need dedicated isolation wards now. I can think of only one ward in Wales at the moment that we can use as COVID isolation. I see exhausted medical and nursing staff now who will be asked to make horrendous decisions very shortly as regards who gets ventilated and who does not get ventilated because we haven't got the ventilators.
So, we are three weeks behind Italy. Can I ask how the First Minister is leading the charge here to specifically equip our NHS and our front-line staff to meet this greatest peacetime challenge facing Wales?