‘COVID isn’t gone’: Health P.E.I. CEO warns of staffing shortages as cases rise
The CEO of Well being P.E.I. says hospitals are having to “squeak by” daily due to staffing shortages stemming from a current rise in COVID-19 instances, with additional shortages anticipated to proceed this summer season.
CEO Michael Gardam mentioned in an interview with CBC Information: Compass on Friday the province’s health-care system isn’t resilient sufficient to deal with a sudden surge of sufferers.
“Persons are drained. We all know the burnout charge is way larger than it is ever been amongst health-care staff. After which lastly, you add on that to the truth that COVID is not gone,” he mentioned.
“And so within the final couple of weeks, we have seen an uptick in instances. Our instances in employees have primarily doubled during the last week.”
To get extra employees working, Gardam mentioned Well being P.E.I. has provided bonuses for added shifts and known as again individuals from trip.
Well being P.E.I. can be prioritizing staffing at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Prince County Hospital as a result of they’ve the biggest emergency departments and folks could also be transferred there anyway, which is the rationale why there’s been closures at different ERs throughout the Island.
Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious illness specialist on the College of Alberta, speaks with CBC Information: Compass host Steve Bruce in regards to the rising instances on P.E.I.
Gardam mentioned it’s onerous to gauge how the rising COVID-19 case pattern within the province will have an effect on the health-care system, however that it is “actually not going to make it higher.”
“We all know in different elements of the world, some elements of Europe, for instance, they’ve had fairly a dramatic improve in hospitalizations. We’ve not seen that,” he mentioned.
“We’ve a really excessive charge of vaccination. We’ve a reasonably good charge of booster photographs. All people ought to get their booster photographs. However I do not know. No one is aware of if that is going to be as dangerous because it was in January or if two weeks from now we’re saying, you recognize what, COVID has eased off. We simply should kind of assume the worst.”
‘In-between time’
P.E.I.’s COVID-19 take a look at positivity charge is 43.1 per cent, in response to the province’s weekly replace final Tuesday. Circumstances had been up 32 per cent in comparison with the earlier week.
Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious illness specialist, mentioned that whereas the information is considerably regarding, it is not “panic-inducing.”
“It is a tough sort of ‘in-between time’ as a result of I do not suppose we’re fairly at the purpose of claiming that COVID is like the opposite respiratory viruses. However it isn’t the identical risk that it was in 2020, 2021, as a result of we do have superb vaccination charges,” she mentioned on Compass earlier this week.
“For those who’re up-to-date in your vaccines, in the event you’ve been vaccinated or contaminated inside the previous few months or so, you may really feel fairly assured which you can behave in a reasonably regular vogue.”
However Saxinger mentioned some warning continues to be warranted and that whereas it could be a tricky resolution for many jurisdictions, reimposing masks mandates might assist ease a few of the pressure within the health-care system.
“I truly suppose that masking indoors for the foreseeable future is a totally accountable factor to do,” she mentioned. “It actually does must be on the desk to place masks necessities again in place.”
Saxinger mentioned selling booster photographs in the summertime forward of the return to colleges within the fall as to keep away from an epidemic of a number of respiratory viruses additionally is smart.
Final week, P.E.I. introduced anybody who’s over 12 years outdated can get a second booster.
Within the meantime, Gardam mentioned that hospitals are treating these with critical points rapidly, and it’s only these with extra easier issues must anticipate longer.
The provincial well being authority warned of longer wait instances at emergency departments throughout the Island forward of Canada Day due to staffing issues.
“Folks … are coming in for extra minor points as a result of they do not have a primary-care supplier, and that is kind of their one possibility on the weekend,” mentioned Gardam.
“That is one thing that is occurring throughout the nation proper now. It is a very tough time for everyone by way of our health-care system.”
