South Zone had 26 patients in hospital with COVID-19 as of Monday morning

By GILLIAN SLADE on November 24, 2020.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade

Alberta Health Services says there were 26 patients with COVID-19 in hospitals across the south zone on Monday morning.

Medicine Hat Regional Hospital had seven patients, with two in ICU. Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge had 15, with three in ICU. Oyen’s Big Country Hospital had one patient, and Brooks Health Centre had three.

On April 16 the News published a story about the capacity available in Alberta hospitals if the model of expected COVID-19 cases materialized.

Katherine Chubbs, chief south zone officer for Alberta Health Services at the time, said the goal was to keep 1,500 beds available across the province, with nearly 200 for the south zone and 60 at MHRH. In order to have those beds available for COVID patients, elective surgeries were cancelled.

On Monday a spokesperson for AHS said they had actually managed to free up 2,000 acute care beds in the spring in anticipation of a surge of COVID-19 cases.

“To do this, AHS postponed most non-urgent, scheduled surgeries. When we relaunched surgeries provincially in early May, these beds were once again needed for patient care,” said AHS spokesperson Kerry Williamson.

There are currently “significant pressures and demands on the health-care system” with increasing COVID-19 cases, and AHS is enacting measures to free up beds, said Williamson.

“We have plans in place to ensure beds are available if needed to provide care for patients with COVID-19.”

This includes “cohorting patients with COVID-19 together in specific acute care units to free up beds in other areas (and) reducing some surgeries to free up beds and staff.”

Plans are also underway to open fully equipped units that are currently not in use and equipping and maximizing other spaces, said Williamson.

On Monday afternoon Dr. Deena Hinshaw revealed there are 328 people with COVID-19 in Alberta hospitals. Edmonton has the highest number at 163, followed by Calgary with 105.

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