UPDATE: Hospital overcrowding crisis – Province to add beds

Alberta Premier Jim Prentice says he’s committed to opening 450 continuing care beds by the end of March – and eventually increasing that number to 2,000.

Says Prentice, “it will be a priority of the government to get them built and opened. I think its clear from the comments I’ve made and the comment (Health Minister Stephen) Mandel has made that we see it as one of the critical blockages in the system and we have to deal with it.”

The Premier’s comments come after a leaked email to Global News revealed the Rockyview Hospital emergency room reached critical levels last Thursday.

The email was written by a senior operating officer.

Last Thursday, patients en route to the Rockyview Hospital were directed to other care facilities.

An “EMS Avoidance” call was made three times during the day, and some patients were placed in hallways.

Since then, Alberta Health Services says capacity levels at Rockyview have improved, and now sit between 102 to 104 per cent.

But some worry the problem will get worse, before it gets better, as the flu season is just around the corner and will add more pressure to the already strained system.