Campbellford hospital adding extra beds amid surge in demand
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Campbellford Memorial Hospital staff are repurposing some areas of the building to open new beds as demand surpasses the hospital’s funded bed capacity.
The day-surgery recovery area now houses acute-care beds and the same may occur in the ambulatory care clinic should the ongoing surge of patients continue, officials announced Wednesday in a news release. The surge has recently pushed the hospital to operate 40 per cent beyond capacity.
Staffing, too, remains a problem, especially with the highly-contagious Omicron variant requiring many workers to isolate, the release added.
“Our staff have been at this for nearly two years,” interim president and chief executive officer Eric Hanna stated in the release.
“They are exhausted and they continue to give it their all day in and day out. Our part-time and casual workers are putting in full-time hours; our full time staff are coming in on their off days.
“It’s truly been an all-hands-on-deck effort.”
The release noted that while the peak of the Omicron wave may soon pass, the virus remains “very active” and public health precautions remain important. They include washing hands frequently, wearing a mask, distancing, getting vaccinated, and staying home when ill.
“Although we are seeing fully-vaccinated patients presenting with COVID-19, I will note that the vast majority of severe COVID-19 cases that require admission to the hospital are in people who are not vaccinated,” Hanna added.
“That’s why vaccination is so important: not only to protect you and your loved ones, but also to preserve hospital capacity.”
People attending the hospital may have longer-than-normal waits in the emergency department and those who do not need urgent care are encouraged to see a family doctor, if available, use a virtual-care clinic or call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007.)
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