A group of 10 local doctors is urging Alberta Health Services to reveal or create their contingency plan for when the already problematic local COVID-19 situation worsens.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
A group of local doctors is calling on Alberta Health Services to reveal contingency plans for the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital functioning properly in the likely case the current wave of local COVID-19 infections worsens.
Dr. Paul Parks is one of 10 local doctors to sign a letter Tuesday also asking for action to fight new infections in the hospital, and city as a whole.
He told the News work by AHS needs to be coupled with public action to stabilize or drive down cases – such as getting vaccinated, wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
“There’s been a lot of misinformation from the government that the pandemic is over,” he said. “I can assure the people of Medicine Hat that it’s not, and it needs to be addressed.”
He argues that a sharp increase in cases is compounded by a separate increase in general visits to hospital to above pre-pandemic levels as well as staffing shortages.
In regard to COVID, higher case numbers in general and more severe cases that wind up in intensive care, could soon mean surgeries requiring post-operative care in ICUs are cancelled, he said.
“No. 1, AHS needs to fully admit there is an issue with staffing, and, No. 2, we need to develop an over-capacity plan for the facility,” he said.
Alberta Health services said in a statement it has standing process to evaluate resources and is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated.
“We monitor and respond as needed to COVID-19 service delivery needs while balancing with non-COVID service delivery needs,” reads a statement from South zone communications officials. “AHS uses surge capacity protocols whenever pressure on our hospitals increases.”
Cases in the local population area have increased tenfold since mid-July, and sat at 527 Tuesday, including 31 new cases, 53 recoveries and two additional deaths on Monday.
A letter signed by Parks, head of the emergency section, and nine other section heads at Medicine Hat Regional, calls on mandatory vaccinations for health-care workers to act as an example for the wider community and as one step to address a rise in cases at the hospital.
“Some fully vaccinated patients and health-care workers are now getting breakthrough infections by coming in close contact with unvaccinated health-care workers,” the letter states. It later concludes, “Unless we can ensure a vaccine mandate for our frontline health-care workers at this time, the advice to the public and the wider community to get their COVID vaccines and contain this pandemic would ring hollow.”
Parks says those cases have had a ripple effect on staffing, which was already strained as some senior health-care professionals and nurses move out of acute care after 18 stress-filled months.
On Aug. 18, AHS revealed that an outbreak at the hospital involved 15 staff members or physicians, and four patients that acquired the respiratory illness while in hospital for other reasons. There was no information given about vaccination status.
Patient visitation was limited to one designated support person in response.
One day earlier officials said at the launch of a City of Medicine Hat campaign to promote vaccination among residents in their 20s and 30s, that three ICU beds out of eight were being used to treat COVID positive cases.
On Tuesday, seven cases were in the local ICU, according to AHS officials, who stress the hospital is a safe place to visit and receive care.
“There are no other disruptions at the site and all emergency services remain open,” reads the statement. “We strongly urge all Albertans to get immunized with both doses to protect themselves and others. The vast majority of Albertans in our hospitals and ICUs are unvaccinated.”
Parks says anyone presenting at MHRH will receive quality safe health care, but AHS must consider operational effectiveness and limited resources, such as staffing levels and stress.
“ICUs are not just for COVID patients,” said Parks, saying the facility’s ability to perform complicated surgeries and procedures with heightened post-operative care could be jeopardized.
As well, the hospital’s ability to enact standard over-capacity protocols, such as transferring cases to other cities, may also be hampered by staffing issues and especially if cases continue to rise across Alberta.
“It needs to be co-ordinated across the province,” he said.
The letter, which is widely circulated in the media, is co-signed by Drs. Debakanta Jena, Mike Bering, John Pasternak, Gerry Prince, Thomas Mohanraj, Anthony Jeraj, Anthony Carlsson, Nicoelle Wanner and J. Hawkwood.
