I work in healthcare IT. ICU beds are expensive. They try to keep them at 85-95% capacity at all times. They are always 'almost full'. Some smaller hospitals will only have 4 or 5 ICU beds and that's normal. It's not profitable to have a bunch of expensive equipment and nurses set up just waiting. They will have extra beds and nurses and the like ready to go on the fly to toss more people in beds as needed. Hospitals, even 'non-profits', care about money. They need to pay their CEOs millions and they can't afford that if they have massive, unused wards set up.
It's my understanding that most hospitals are built to be at or near capacity all the time. You can't generate income with empty beds.
It's more entertaining for them to virtue signal than it is to actually do things that might help.
I work in healthcare IT. ICU beds are expensive. They try to keep them at 85-95% capacity at all times. They are always 'almost full'. Some smaller hospitals will only have 4 or 5 ICU beds and that's normal. It's not profitable to have a bunch of expensive equipment and nurses set up just waiting. They will have extra beds and nurses and the like ready to go on the fly to toss more people in beds as needed. Hospitals, even 'non-profits', care about money. They need to pay their CEOs millions and they can't afford that if they have massive, unused wards set up.