Peterborough Regional Health Centre is advising residents to seek alternative sources of care, if possible, as the hospital endures the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with staffing shortages and a record number of inpatients with the illness.
The hospital made the plea on Thursday, noting the record number of COVID-19 inpatients — 37 as of Wednesday afternoon, which surpassed 35 reported on Jan. 17 and Jan. 18 amid the peak of the Omicron wave. Along with high patient volumes in the emergency department, the hospital says it is also facing staffing shortages due to COVID-19 illness.
In an email late Wednesday afternoon, the hospital reported 132 people are off work due to either testing positive for COVID-19, displaying symptoms or have been identified as a high-risk contact. An additional 56 people are currently on workplace self-isolation protocols under the revised provincial criteria.
The total number of staff who are currently positive for COVID-19 is 85.
There are two ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks. There are eight cases in the C3 inpatient unit from an outbreak declared April 14. On Thursday morning a new outbreak was declared on the A4 unit with four cases.
“PRHC, like hospitals across Ontario, is very much still in the midst of the pandemic,” stated Dr. Lynn Mikula, PRHC’s chief of staff and chief medical executive. “While mandates have lifted in most public spaces, PRHC is not operating in its pre-pandemic state, and in fact a number of key factors continue to converge at the hospital as we grapple with the effects of this sixth wave of COVID-19.”
The hospital says anyone attending in the emergency department for acute illnesses and conditions “should expect to wait longer than usual” to be served.
The hospital encourages those considering coming to the emergency department to assess their illness and consider alternative options for care if their situation is not an emergency:
- Individuals who are registered with a family physician/practitioner should seek non-urgent care through their office before coming to the hospital.
- Utilize Telehealth Ontario for free by calling 1-866-797-0000 to get health advice or information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Assistance is available in more than 300 languages.
All COVID-19 precautions such as screening and masking remain in effect at the hospital.
The hospital’s COVID-19 assessment centre is available for those who believe they are at higher risk for illness. To make an appointment, call 705-876-5086.
On Wednesday, Peterborough Public Health’s community risk index for COVID-19 was at “very high risk” for the second week in a row. The health unit reported 310 active lab-confirmed cases. The province on Thursday morning reported 334 active cases (not lab-confirmed) for the health unit’s jurisdiction.
Mikula also noted its staff have seen an increase in “aggressive and abusive” behaviours from some visiting the hospital. Niagara hospitals also reported similar incidents.
“PRHC staff and physicians are working incredibly hard right now, putting in long hours under increasingly challenging conditions in order to provide life-saving care for hundreds of patients each day, and I would like to be clear that violent and abusive behaviours, which create an unsafe and disruptive environment for our healthcare workers, patients and caregivers, will not be tolerated,” she said.
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