Overcrowding at a Moncton hospital has officials with Vitalité Health Network concerned about what’s to come.
In a news release, Vitalité asked New Brunswickers to avoid coming to the emergency department at the Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre except in true emergencies because of a high rate of occupancy within the hospital.
It encouraged people to seek medical attention at walk-in clinics or by calling Tele-Care (811), and said people would need to prepare for a long wait if they did visit the ER, especially those seeking non-emergency care.
Vitalité Health Network President and CEO Gilles Lanteigne said there are three main culprits creating the problem: inadequate staffing levels, patients in hospital beds who are actually in need of long-term care and a high overall rate of hospitalization.
“With the shortage of staff, with the bed flow, we have people waiting for beds,” Lanteigne said.
“We even have beds in the corridors now, so things are very difficult.”
Lanteigne said the COVID-19 pandemic limited Vitalité’s ability to recruit new nurses. He said they hire about 140 per year, but right now, they need over two hundred.
Paula Doucet, president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union, said she believes the Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre needs about 100 nurses on its own to bring it up to proper staffing levels.
She said she has had nurses from the hospital contact her in tears about poor working conditions.
Doucet believes Vitalité may have to consider closing the emergency department temporarily until the situation improves.
“It’s one thing to say that you’re providing a full service with the necessary staff to do so,” Doucet began. “But when you don’t have that necessary staff then it becomes a safety issue for not only the patients and the clients, but for the staff that are remaining.”
Doucet the release from Vitalité about the Dumont could very easily be written about several other hospitals in New Brunswick. Lanteigne admitted occupancy rates are creeping up within the Vitalité’s network.
Numbers obtained by Global News from Horizon Health Network showed its hospital occupancy rates, as of Sept. 16, ranging from 84-127 per cent capacity.
“Horizon can confirm we have seen general increases in hospital occupancy rates over the last several weeks, particularly when compared with the levels witnessed in the earlier stages of the pandemic response,” said Geri Geldart, VP Clinical with Horizon.
“We are continuing to closely monitor these rates on a daily basis and are working to maintain capacity within our facilities with the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing and the arrival of flu season forthcoming.”
Lanteigne said he wants all hospitals to be ready for another possible wave of COVID-19 cases. He said that means a thorough internal review of current hospital operations.
“You have to look at every aspect of your business,” he said. “And say, “OK, how can I increase (patient) flow. In other words, if there’s more patients coming in than leaving, well, obviously it doesn’t take long before that piles up.
“And this is the situation we’re in now.”
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